Make-It-Monday: DIY Chevron Paint Chip Necklace

Here's a Make-It-Monday tutorial from KiraArts! (you can check out her blog here)

*If you make a Make-It-Monday craft yourself, take a picture and share it with us at our RNEST Facebook Page, or use the hashtag #RNESTMakeItMonday on Instagram, and we may share it here on the blog!*

"My mom and I went to Lowes last week. While we were there, we saw these Sherwin-Williams paint chips that were shaped like little houses!  

As mom and I were having fun picking out color combinations that we liked, I noticed that they reminded me of chevron necklaces. (Like the ones from RNESTer The Knotty Owl). Mom has made circle necklaces out of paint chips before, using different sized circle punches. So I thought, why not make a chevron necklace?

First, I arranged the paint chips and used a clothespin to hold them in place.
Then I put packing tape on them to hold the chips together and laminate it.  In hindsight, I would not recommend using packing tape, because of the little air bubbles. I should have used clear contact paper. You may still get air bubbles with contact paper, but they would be easier to get out than with the packing tape.  And, obviously, if you're lucky enough to have a laminating machine, go ahead and use that!

Then I cut the paint chips to the size I wanted.

So, I have this cool tool...the Crop-A-Dile.  It's for putting in eyelets.  I thought the eyelets would give the necklace a more finished look, rather than just using a hole-punch.  If you don't have a Crop-A-Dile, a simple eyelet kit would work.
(The Crop-A-Dile is mainly for papercraft projects; I wouldn't recommend it for putting functional, long term eyelets in fabric if you're making a corset or something.)

Then just put a chain through the holes and your necklace is finished!
The packing tape bubbles made the finish a little wonky, but I'll know better for next time! (and you all get to learn from my mistakes!)

*If you want a chevron necklace that is much more durable, you should really check out the handmade wooden ones by The Knotty Owl!

You can use a long chain...

Or a short chain!

And, you could really do this with any kind of scrapbook paper, or even cover some cardstock with washi tape!

Happy Crafting!"

Tuesday Treasuries: Orange is the Color of the Week.

Orange you glad you looked at this treasury curated by JackBear, featuring R-nest members

Treasury Created by RNEST Member:

Outrageous Orange curated by JustEggsquisite

Treasuries Featuring RNEST Members:

Let the Wild Rumpus Start featuring TheWhimsicalSweet

Ski Mask Freedom featuring MFcrafts

Sunflower featuring TatteredPearls

Simply Silver featuring SunshineOnWater

Nearing Autumn featuring SewIndieShop

Stay Awhile featuring RinaMiriam

Infinite Lemon Choices featuring OnHandLotions

VintageBeaded Beauty featuring NightOfJoyVintage

Smile featuring MyBonnyMonAbri

Clothespin featuring MakingTheNestOfIt

Sweet Green Tea featuring HappyEarthTea

A Few of My Yellowish Favorites featuring HeatherBehrendtGlass

Cool Things that Go Together featuring JasonTennant

Some Day My Prince Will Come featuring JWPhoto

From the Top featuring KarenSwimmer

Summer Buddha Yoga Love featuring Dance2Create

Bicycles featuring MetalSomeArt

The Juvenile Handwriting Jewelry Finds featuring BrittanyLeighJewelry

June's Featured Artist: Sunshine On Water

Name:  Betsy Murray
Business Name:  Sunshine On Water
Etsy Shop:   Sunshine On Water  https://www.etsy.com/shop/SunshineOnWater

Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunOnWater    
• Blog: http://sunshineonwater.wordpress.com/

Age:  36
Profession/Day Job:  Stay at home mom of 2 kids
Where in/around Rochester do you live?  Webster
Craft(s) of Choice:  Metalwork, creating sterling silver and copper jewelry, painting

Besides your main craft of choice, do you enjoy any other crafts?  
My main craft is metalworking and creating jewelry but I also love drawing and painting!  As a child I enjoyed drawing in my sketchbook, in art class and painting with watercolors.  In college, drawing was my concentration.  I love drawing what I see in front of me on paper.  Charcoal, pencil and ink are my favorite mediums to work with because I like to create "sketchy" lines then work from there.  Drawing people have always been a challenge for me, I enjoy drawing figures but not necessarily faces!

Is there a craft you've always wanted to try, but never got around to learning?  
Welding, someday, maybe this or next summer  I will pursue it.

 

Did you go to art school or are you self taught?   
My initial degree is in Physical Education, after years of not using that degree and teaching Prek instead, I decided to go back to college.  I left my teaching job and returned to school!  I went to SUNY Brockport and received a BA in Studio Art.  Every class was an amazing learning opportunity, I had wonderful professors and am still friends with many of them today!  While there, I made sure to arrange my schedule so that I would be able to take Metalsmithing.  It was only offered 1 semester a year so I was able to get in the spring semester of 2005.   My professor was tough, no slacking but I learned so much!  I also learned to use a torch in that class, there was never a fear of it from that class until now. 

 

What’s your first craft-related memory?  
Sewing as a child!  My parents always had the sewing machine out, usually open, so my sister and I were able to sew doll clothes, purses, or whatever we felt like!  It was great to make my own "creation" with a piece of fabric and some thread.

How did you get started with Etsy? 
My sister encouraged me 4 years ago in 2010!  I opened my Etsy shop under another name and it took about 3 years to get it established to what it is now. 

 

In your creative life and work, of what accomplishment are you most proud ? 
Participating in art & craft shows.  I have always been quiet so taking the leap to sign up for shows was difficult for me.  I decided to try my first show 3 years ago and am happy with the confidence I gained over the past few years in regards to selling my work at shows.   

What inspires you, or makes you want to go dashing off to craft?  
Nature, I see things around me, leaves, trees, water and I want to create what I see in my work.   I am a big recycler, yes, it sometimes drives my husband crazy, but I see trees disappearing around us with new buildings going up and I want to preserve some of that.  I love collecting leaves, drying them and shaping sterling silver wire to their form.  Water is also my inspiration, it makes me happy.  Much of my work incorporates water themes, beach glass and leaves.    

What does your workspace look like most of the time? 
Messy, metal, pliers, wire cutters, dremel tool, torch, etc... I have been trying to organize myself and my space more lately! :-) 

What (if anything) do you like to watch/listen to while you create?  

House Hunters on HGTV,  Kid Rock & Bruce Springsteen music wise.  

Do you craft with anyone, such as your kids/grandkids/friends?  

I love creating art with my kids, simple things like watercolor on paper, painting lake rocks, giving them paper to collage with.  They also love painting.  My daughter is super organized and very symetrical in her work, my son is more abstract, asymetrical and thinks outside the box with art.  They have different personalities but both love to create!

Treasury Tuesday: Patchwork + Mothers = Love

Patchwork of Love featuring PeachesProducts

Curated by RNEST members:

RNEST Gets Geometric curated by KiraArts

Red is all the Rage curated by JustEggsquisite

Just for Mom curated by JustEggsquisite

Hold it up to Your Ear curated by RinaMiriam

A Gray Day curated by NightOfJoyVintage

Featuring RNEST members:

M is for Mother! featuring UpTillNow

Bus featuring TheWhimsicalSweet

Pastelicious III featuring TheKnottyOwlShop

Grey Tree featuring SunshyneSilverwear

Star-Crossed Lovers featuring SunshyneSilverwear

Etsy! featuring SunshineOnWater

Brought to you by the Letter H featuring SunshineOnWater

Mint and Rose featuring SugarAndType

Eat Your Veggies! featuring SewIndieShop

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom! featuring SewIndieShop

There Once Was a Place featuring SchumArt

Do Ladybugs Get the Blues featuring PoetCharms

Rainy Days and Rainbows featuring PapersaurusCreative

The Rivet Make My Day featuring MyBonnyMonAbri

Zip it Quick! Today Celebrates Zipper Day! featuring MoyaLazyFactory

March 2014 Team Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to RNEST's Team Challenge winner for 

March's's "Go Green!" theme...

SunshineOnWater with her Green Onyx Silver Earrings!

Thanks to all the artists who participated 
and to everyone who voted!

Be sure to check back on Monday, April 7th for our next Monthly Team Challenge!
The theme will be "Radiant Orchid"!

Treasury Tuesday: A Promise of Spring

Spring Green curated by SunshineOnWater

Featuring RNEST members:

Creating with Color featuring JackBear

Secret Chicken featuring TheSecretChicken

Quilts featuring Swurme

Sumptuous featuring SunshyneSilverwear

I Want them! featuring SugarAndType

Summer Breeze featuring StaceyKayCollection

Green as Spring featuring RinaMiriam

Green and Gold featuring PoetCharms

Think Green for St. Patrick’s Day featuring PeachesProducts

Spring is Sprung featuring FrancescaDeCaire

Wear Your Jewels on the Red Carpet with Team Love featuring MyBonnyMonAbri

February 2014 Team Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to RNEST's Team Challenge winner for 

February's's "Red Hot" theme...

SunshineOnWater's Silver Red Earrings!

Thanks to all the artists who participated 
and to everyone who voted!

Be sure to check back on Monday, March 3rd for our next Monthly Team Challenge!
The theme will be "Go Green!"

April 2013 Team Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to RNEST's Team Challenge winner for 

April's "Pantone Color Of The Year: Emerald" theme...

PandaWear with her Seeds of Kambaba Pendant

Thanks to all the artists who participated 
and to everyone who voted!

Be sure to check back on May 2nd for our next Monthly Team Challenge!

(May's theme will be "Internet Memes".)

March 2012 Team Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to RNEST's March Team Challenge winner...

Sunshyne SilverWear, with her "Laptop Key Pendant"!

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Be sure to check back on April 5th for our next Monthly Team Challenge!
(April's theme will be "How Does Your Garden Grow?")

Fresh Fridays: Seeing Green

It appears that everybody on our Etsy Street Team is feeling green, perhaps it is the lack of white outside. Who would imagine that in January we would be seeing green in Rochester, where is all the white stuff anyway?

So, the turtle notecard isn't green but could be. All of these fresh finds and many more beautifully handcrafted items can be found on Etsy.

Thanks to Karen, Heather, Marie, and Amanda

Keep on the look out for the latest and greatest from the RNEST Etsy Stret Team every Friday!

Friday Fashion Fix

My daughter is always leaving her earrings and other jewelry in random places around her room...

This jewelry dish would be the perfect fix for this habit. Besides the fact that her favorite color is green, she would enjoy being able to see her earrings so beautifully displayed as well as any of her other favorite bobbles!

Love, love, love this simple and very clever solution to the jewelry dilemma in our house!

If you know a certain someone who needs some help finding her favorite bobbles, visit Goldhawk Pottery and gift this pretty little dish!

Wednesday Wellspring: A Different View

Congratulations to #34 Teary Eyed Stars for winning the Kelley's Beading giveaway! And congratulations to Kira Arts for winning the Japan-inspired team challenge!

And bubbling up from the well this week, is A Different View! One lucky winner will receive this beautiful one-of-a-kind piece made with layered stained and clear glass, preserving natural pressed fleabane flowers. All pendants in this lovely shop are made in this manner, so no two are ever alike - as Mother Nature determines what the artist has available each season! The medallion is finished on a soft black cord, adjustable for custom length.

Chrys, the artist behind these lovely creations, can also be found around Rochester this spring at a few events:

• Library Services Craft Show, Friday, April 29th, 8 am-5 pm at the Rochester Holiday Inn Airport

• b'Zart: an event Chrys is organizing to benefit Golisano Children's Hospital. It will be at the Firehouse Saloon, 814 South Clinton, May 28th from 5-10 p.m. She'll be joined there by fellow RNESTers Sunshyne Silverwear and Softshell Crafts.
• reHatched: Female Artist Showcase at the Tango Cafe, 389 Gregory St., Saturday, June 6, 7pm - 10pm.

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only.):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to A Different View, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. "Like" RNEST on Facebook.
2. "Like" A Different View on Facebook.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, May 3rd and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Jack's Pick: Recycled Spoon Pendant by sunshynesilverware

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

This week I have found a wonderful recycled spoon pendant called "Birds on a Wire" by Erin of sunshynesilverware!

So I don't really need to explain the simplicity of this item, do I?

It's a spoon!

But seriously, it's simplicity is what makes it wonderful! I love when everyday items like a spoon are transformed into something new. This humble spoon is elevated to art. Erin captures the simplicity with simple pictures or graphic designs.

I love the black and white of this silhouette of the birds. As Erin says in her description, the resin gives it a 3D effect. In fact, you can see the shadow of the birds behind the silhouettes in the background! I also like that nothing goes to waste in Erin's studio apparently, since she also makes pendants from the spoon handles as well!

Jack's Pick: Beauty in the Eye's Nature's Elegance Bracelet

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

Michelle of Beauty in the Eye has created a stunning bracelet with the help of nature's inspiration. I want to quote Michelle from the item description because her description is just so fitting:

When I look at this bracelet I feel a sense of calm and balance found only in nature’s colors. The magnesite has brown crackled lines that remind me of weathered earth, while at the same time the white background evokes clouds in the sky. Amazonite brings in the water and sky elements also, and the copper beads and copper colored pearls represent for me wood, sand and earth.

I honestly could not describe this wonderful bracelet better than that, so I won't.

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: Getting Ready for a Trunk Show

I've done a few arts and crafts shows in the past. I've hosted a few jewelry parties in my home (showcasing my own work). Next Thursday will be a first for me, though - my first trunk show!

Soulstice Artisan Market (in Rochester, NY) was sweet enough to extend the offer to host a trunk show for myself and my fiance. I'm super excited! I'll admit I've been neglecting my Etsy shop, blogging, creating... but this trunk show has kicked me into high gear! I wanted the pieces I show to represent how and with what materials I've been creating with lately. So most everything I'm bringing will have some element of recycle/repurpose.

These necklaces were both made with vintage beads (the teal flower used to be a clasp - I'm in love with it!) and pieces of broken modern jewelry.

The pin on the left was made with scrap fabric and ribbon, a vintage button and newspaper. The clip on the right was made with scrap fabric and ribbon, a vintage button and clippings from an old calendar.

This next piece is not for sale (it's part of a custom order), but it was also made with vintage/older pieces.

I'm so glad this show came around and helped me get into a creative zone. What helps you create? Anything help get you started? Share 'em in the comments!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin

(If you'd like to say hello at the trunk show, stop by the shop on August 26 between 6 and 9pm! And thanks for letting me do a little self-promo... I'm just so stoked!)

Jack's Pick: Duncan Creative's Crochet Necklace

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

So I am used to crochet scarves. Hats and gloves, yup...got 'em. But I have to admit, crochet NECKLACES are a new thing to me. I'm sure they have been around, but I'm not usually following

the crochet scene. But the Lavender Fields Crochet Necklace that was handmade with love by karenswimmer of Duncan Creative

looks awesome and novel to me.

So I'm a dude, and probably wouldn't wear this one, but I still think this kicks rear end. Why? Function...that's

why. Maybe you are the kind of person who likes to wear scarves in the winter...hey...I do! But come summer, you got to put that stuff away...too hot. Well a gem like this crochet necklace is perfect...still get that soft look, but not all that heat. I dig that. Next is style...it looks sweet, and who else you know who is rocking this look! Also, you don't have to mine all the gold, silver, and rocks out of the earth to have this accessory.

Karen, if you make one of these for a dude, I might wear it myself. Oh yeah, and one more thing, in July Duncan Creative is having a buy one get one half off sale, so grab a couple of these yarn bombs.

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: Recently Thrifted

The official start of summer = garage sales galore! And while poking through boxes of forgotten treasures in someone's yard will always be my favorite way of thrifting, the birth of Etsy and other online avenues pave the way for virtual garage sailing. Below is an assortment of deals earned the old fashion way and through the comfort of my MacBook.

These adorable earrings made from vintage lucite cabochons are an Etsy steal. I ordered the red and cream pairs and the seller was sweet enough to throw in the pink pair! Thanks, Dangsworld!

My mom gave me this and I though the old McCurdy's box was vintage goodness all by itself. Opening it was even better...

 Vintage buttons! I foresee lots of button crafting in my future.

I snagged this small child's desk at a garage sale for $5! It makes the perfect nightstand in our guest room.

And last but not least, some 80's records, 25 cents each. REO, The Boss, Duran Duran, Journey... all the greats. Hehe. I almost bought Rio online for $10 a few weeks ago - good thing I waited!

Any good thrifted treasures lately? Share 'em in the comments!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: New Treasure From Old

Everyone has a spot were they toss jewelry when it breaks; damaged necklaces, cracked beads, snapped bracelets or one half of a pair of earrings. It might be a little jewelry container, a shoe box or just in the bottom of a drawer. The stuff you just can't part with. A few months ago, I was given a plastic bag filled with sentimental pieces that were either broken or just not being worn.

Some beads were vintage and some were new. Each piece had character and something about it that was meaningful to the owner (let's call her Ms. V.). Ms. V. gave me the great honor of taking this collection of jewelry and creating something new. She wanted a statement necklace she could wear for special occasions that incorporated all these little slices of her jewelry past. Here's what I came up with:

Each strand focuses on one color that was prominent in the collection of beads (light, dark, clear), but splices in a few contrasting colors here and there to make it look more cohesive. I didn't want it to look like three separate necklaces, but one larger piece. I'm happy with the results, but even better, Ms. V. was happy with the results (and it looks rather stunning on her, I must say!).

I think this is a great way to reinvent your jewelry; you can turn your sentimental pieces into the pieces you love to wear (for both the history and the style). Your forgotten jewelry is trash no more!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin

*And many thanks to Ms. V. for trusting me with such important memories!

Jack's Pick: Resin Kit and Tutorial by HappyRainbow

Each Friday I select an item created by a member of the Rochester NY Etsy Street Team(RNEST). What criteria do I use? I look for great looking items that I think are well made offered for a great price!

If you like "arts and crafts", there is a good chance you have a little creative spark in you, and you might call yourself "crafty." Why not try something new?

Look no further, Amanda from Beadwork By Amanda has a new etsy shop, called Happy Rainbow, to sell kits and tutorials. This complete resin kit and tutorial caught my eye this week because I have always been curious how she gets that look!

What look? Take a look at what she does with old circuitry in her jewelry shop. This is just one application for this kind of technique. The sky is the limit in what you can drop into a bezel. I can think of lots of cool gifts I could make for my family and friends with this kit.

Not only is this a great low cost way to try out something new, Amanda offers email support if you don't understand the full color pictorial instructions that come as part of the kit. That's good service.

Kudos to you, Amanda.