Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

Welcome Gust Blogger, Barbara Matthessen, for Earth Safe Finishes.

Belt Bracelets

Recycle thrift store or old belts into fun and funky bracelets.  You can make 3, 4 or even 5 bracelets from a single belt and give them all different personalities with earth friendly paints, chains and beads.  Why not make a batch of these for gifts or to coordinate with every outfit you own?

Materials:

Leather or leather like belt

Opaque Shimmers from Earth Safe Finishes in your choice of colors 

Toggle or hook clasp

1″ chain or 22 GA wire to match clasp

Jump Rings

Strong scissors or leather shears

Leather/belt hole punch

Paint brushes, liner for details

Jewelry making tools, pliers and wire cutters

Optional extras:

Additional chain

Beads

Metal tags

Kevlar thread or wire to attach the above

Instructions:

1. Cut your belt 1″-1 ½” shorter than your normal bracelet size depending on how loose or tight you like to wear them.  (Don’t worry about the existing belt holes you can either ignore them or bead through them later.)  Trim corners round, on a diagonal or leave straight.

2. Punch holes on both ends about 1/8″ inch.

3. Paint your belt using Shimmers with your choice of colors.  Some are a random splash of colors, some use the existing embossed pattern and some are freeform patterns. You may also choose to use a stencil or rubber stamp to create your image.  Allow the paint to dry.

4. Attach your closure with jump rings or a combination of chain, jump rings or wire. If you are using a toggle make sure to add in a small chain on the bar end to make it easier to attach the bracelet.

5. Embellish more if you like! Stitch on beads, charms, buttons or trinkets using Kevlar thread.  Knot on the back then dot each knot with a dab of glue when you are done.

More Fun: Wire on tags by using a flat bead with a head pin run through it on the underside.  Wrap the ends of the head pins around holes in the tag, secure with more wraps then trim the ends. Add sections of chain by attaching chain ends to jump rings on each end. There are a million and one ways to make this bracelet so try it out today!

Learn more about Earth Safe Finishes HERE.

I got hooked on glass fusing years ago.  I immediately purchased a small Quick Fire kiln after my first fusing class.  This type of kiln quickly heats to fusing temperature in about 5 minutes, you have to be careful with the annealing and cool down, but it’s worth it to be able to create so quickly.

I use mainly glass designed for glass fusing and slumping.  One of my favorites is Wasser Glass.  It’s thin and I really like the variety of colors available.  Here’s a project I created for Jewelry Creations 2, a magazine I was the editor for in 2008.

Quick Fire Fusing

This beginner fusing project uses a Quick Firing kiln for speedy glass fusing.  The abstract design makes each piece one of a kind.

Materials:

Diamond International Wasser Glass: yellow, brown, light brown, tiger’s eye, gold, butterscotch, weathered, red flash, surprise, and heavy gold

Glasscutter

Nippers

Safety glasses for glasswork

Quick Fire kiln

Kiln shelf primed with release

Timer

Rubbing alcohol

Lint free paper towels

Pin back, earring posts, pendant bails

Optional:  Thinned white glue or fusing glue

Firing Temperatures:

Wasser glass has a COE 90
(~±5°F and are dependent upon glass color and thickness)
Softening Point :1240°F (677°C)
Tack Fuse :1285°F (696°C) Orton std. lg. cone 18 (r/r 108°F)
Full Fuse :1340°F (727°C) Orton std. lg. cone 17 (r/r 108°F)
Annealing Temperature : 940°F (482°C)
Shrinkage Initiation Point :1360°F (738°C)
Balling Formation Starts : 1450°F (788°C)
Glass Lost / Shelf Intrusion : 1550°F (843°C)

1. If you do not have a kiln, check out your local stained glass or glass working studios as they often have fusing classes or offer kiln time. If you do not have a Quick Firing kiln, use the firing temperatures above. When cutting glass use caution and care. You are working with hot glass so be careful and consider all surfaces hot. 

2. Cut glass into thin strips in various widths and lengths.  Most strips are no more than 1/4 wide and 3″ long. As you design you might want to nip strips shorter. Remember that edges of cut glass can be very sharp.  Handle glass carefully.

3. Work on a clean surface and once glass is cut, clean all glass pieces with rubbing alcohol.  It’s important that the glass be oil and lint free when fired (heated).  Once happy with design, place glass onto kiln shelf that has been prepared with release (following manufacturer’s instructions for applying release).  It’s also important that glass be completely dry before setting on the kiln shelf or fusing (firing). 

4. As you design your pieces make sure you include some small sets that can be turned into earrings.  You may want to leave some openings to turn the piece into a pendant or leave a place where a pendant bail can be glued.  As I made my pieces, I was thinking pins so I made sure there was a space that a pin back could be adhered. I do not use any type of adhesive as I design abstract pieces.  If a piece of glass moves as fired I consider it part of the abstract look, however, you can apply a watered down white glue or fusing glue to the back of glass to avoid glass moving.  Remember that glue must dry completely before you fire your piece(s).  Any moisture when firing may cause the glass to crack.

5. Place shelf into kiln, close kiln, and turn on. The Quick Firing kiln will get to full fusing temperature (Wasser 1340 degrees F) within five minutes so it’s important that you never leave a kiln unsupervised.  As the temperature rises to full fuse, put on your safety glasses and check glass. Never look into a kiln or torch without safety glasses designed for hot glasswork. If fused (fully melted together), turn off kiln and keep open until temperature is around 1200 degrees F.  You may have to vent several times to keep temperature below full fuse.  Allow kiln to cool completely.  Allow glass to cool completely. Your glass should be annealed (kept at a temperature for 20+ minutes so the glass is at its strongest, least likely to break or crack) if you didn’t open the kiln after you brought the temperature down to 1200 degrees F. If working in a studio, staff will most likely compute a sequence for the kiln.

6. Once completely cooled clean pieces with rubbing alcohol. Add pin back, earring posts, or pendant bails as you prefer.  Fusing is a great way to use small pieces of glass and a wonderful way to design pins, pendants, and other jewelry components for unique and personalized jewelry. Find a stain glass or glass studio in your local area for fusing classes.

More about fusing & Wasser Glass click HERE.

At the recent Craft and Hobby Association’s Winter 2009 trade show I discovered a very cool and very green company that I wanted to share with you.  Please welcome guest blogger Barbara Matthiessen.

Many companies boast about being green these days but few take it to the level of Earth Safe Finishes. Earth Safe Finishes not only has non-toxic, environmentally friendly products, recycled packaging but a total commitment to keeping artists healthy and the earth clean. For more info on the product line and company please go to Earth Safe Finishes.

As an artist I want to share my experience with the product line and what makes it unique. First the quality is amazing, true one coat coverage with Perfect Paint and the Shimmers are beyond any other metallic paint I have ever used. (I have used almost every paint line on the market over the years, good, bad, cheap and pricey.)
 

I love only needing one set of paints to use on all surfaces from metal and glass to fabric and paper. The only prepping I’ve had to do is make sure the surface was clean, dry and oil free and that includes my kitchen countertops. No heat setting is needed which saves power and allows more creative freedom.

All the products work together, mix and match. I can use the Colorants to custom mix any color paint, varnish, texture, glaze I want. With a few paints, Colorants, and mediums I am able to work on any surface using any technique and get great, durable results. Compared to my old ways of having well over 300 bottles of paint and countless mediums I now can do even more with 2 shoeboxes full of product!

LOVE the Colorants! I can instantly dye all sorts of materials with these gems, use it as an ink or tint any other medium. I was even able to match and fill a small tear in my car interior using Perfect Paint and 2 Colorants. The more I work with this stuff the more uses I find for it and the more money I save. No stinky smells, need I say more? I so enjoy not gagging to work on a project or worrying about preserving my brain cells.

Recently at the CHA show in Anaheim I had the pleasure of spending some time in the Earth Safe Finishes booth with Nancy and Jessica, mom and daughter owners of ESF. Yes, the booth itself was recycled and everything in it including sample projects and literature were repurposed, reused or recycled. Demos were done on dumpster dive, thrift store and had on hand items from old shoes, paper towels, glass and metal trays, to jackets. Now that is how to make art beautiful and green!

Barbara and fellow designers at CHA Winter 2009 trade show.

Check back soon and you’ll find the instructions to make these cool bracelets!

One of my 2009 resolutions (or goals as I like to call ‘em!) was to finish at least one craft project BEFORE I started a new one.  I know I can’t be alone in the fact that I’ve always got at least a half a dozen projects going on at a time.

I’m not sure why I end up with a few unfinished projects.  Maybe I get bored or sidetracked or couldn’t find the unfinished bracelet under all the books I have piled on my worktable.  No matter the reason, I wanted to get some of my projects done!  To motivate myself I decided that I’d use my finished projects as Easter basket goodies this year.  If I didn’t get the projects done I would make the poor ole Easter bunny look like the Grinch!  It may not seem like motivation, but you haven’t met the family and friends who show up every year to hunt baskets.  They are serious goodie basket reviewers and I have to stay on my toes!

Well, I’m ready to share some of the projects I got done.  Scratch a few items off my To Do list!

These two bracelets were made using a metal cuff finding. I used thin wire to wrap, thread beads, then wrap until the entire cuff frame was done. On the second one I added some fish beads I had.

I made matching earrings for the cuff bracelets. I'm into dangles right now and love adding the effect to earrings.

I finally used these pieces I'd fused months ago!

I don’t care what you call it.  Faux. Fake. Imitation. Counterfeit.  Mock.  It’s not real sea glass, but it comes very close to looking like the real thing.  One clue that a piece of “sea glass” is manmade not nature made is the color.  Most sea glass is dark brown, dark green, or frosty white.  These are the colors of the bottles of soda, beer, and wine that find a way into our oceans.  So if you are seeing light blues, light yellows, frosty pink or neon orange, most likely your sea glass was made by a person, not Mother Nature.

I made more than enough pieces just in case! You can see my glass cutter to the top right. The pliers in my hands are designed for safely breaking glass along cut lines.

 I must admit, I liked those unnatural colors of sea glass.  So I searched my junk glass drawers for light blues, soft yellows, delicate pinks, and yes, bright oranges!  My junk glass is made up of leftovers from other glass projects (fusing, slumping, and torch bead making).  I also get glass from friends who do stain glass.  Most stain glass shops sell what I call junk glass by the pound at inexpensive prices.  For stain glass shops this is glass leftover after classes and too small to save for the next project.

Once I had my glass picked out I did have to cut it into smaller pieces with a glass cutter.  I read on a website that you can also wrap the glass in newspaper and tap on the wrapped package with a hammer to get smaller sizes of glass.  If you do this, just be very careful, the glass can be very jagged and sharp.  Using newspaper and a hammer will get you more random shapes.  I sort of had an idea in mind of what I wanted to make so I wanted the control of a glass cutter to give me squares and rectangles of the same shape and size.  Always wear safety goggles when working with glass!

I placed my drill in a drill press for my first attempt at drilling a hole in the glass. I striped the bit! Total waste. It's best to hold the drill in your hand for better control.

The next step for me would be to drill holes in the glass shapes for earrings and pendants.  You can use bails instead of drilling holes, but most of the time you will see the bail even though the glass isn’t clear.  I work with glass so I did have a good idea of what was involved in drilling glass.  First of all, you MUST use a diamond tip bit. This is a specialty bit that is on the expensive side.  But only diamond tip bits will cut glass. You also need a drill.  I have my handy Dremel, a tool that has a million and one uses with all sorts of bits and tips available.

To drill glass you need to place the glass in water.  This keeps the glass and the drill bit from overheating.  I use a sturdy shallow plastic tray filled 1/2 with water.  I do have a drill press for my Dremel tool, but for drilling glass I recommend holding the drill.  You place the glass to drill into the water, come in at an angle for your first touch down onto the glass, and drill slow and steady.  It takes some patience, but you’ll damage the bit and the drill if you try to power push the bit through the glass.  It takes a little practice too.  If you aren’t steady, the bit will bounce around on top of the glass! You drill the hole in the glass before starting the aging or etching process so that the hole will also get that sea glass look to it!  Again, don’t forget to wear your safety goggles.  Your eyes must always be protected.

I’ve already invested dozens of hours into my sea glass.  I researched several resources for instructions, gathered up the supplies (glass, glass cutter, etching solution/creme or tumbler, drill, diamond drill bit, bails, brush, containers, and file), and started the process.  I’m less than half way there!  What have I gotten myself into?  For a recycling (green) craft this one was starting to add up to some major money and time investment.

At this point, however, I am obsessed as only a creative person can be obsessed.  I will make faux sea glass if it kills me!

Come back in a couple of weeks to see if I make it out alive!

The earrings that started it all!

It started very innocently.  On a trip to the Bahamas I found a pair of earrings that were made with faux or fake sea glass.  I knew it wasn’t real sea glass because the real stuff is rarely this perfect! If you don’t know what sea glass is, I’ve found some wonderful sites with interesting facts about sea glass.

Wikipedia: Sea Glass

North American Sea Glass Association

Pure Sea Glass

True or “natural” sea glass is glass from bottles and such that have broken up, and over time the water and sand of the sea has turned the glass into gems.  I’ve found real sea glass in my shelling adventures and also on a trip to Hawaii’s famous sea glass beach.  I prefer to place my true sea glass in bowls rather than turn the tiny treasures into jewelry. 

Some beautiful sea glass found on PureSeaGlass.com

My interest was peaked so I bought the earrings.  I knew the sea glass was manmade, but I just loved the aged, soft look.  Then when traveling to Grand Cayman I spotted some jewelry that wasn’t shaped like the usual sea glass. Instead the glass was shaped.  Shaped like a fish, one of my favorite motifs.  Again, I loved the effect so much I purchased a bracelet and matching earrings.

I was hooked with my second purchase of faux sea glass jewelry!

With this purchase, I decided it was time for me to make some of this fun stuff called faux sea glass.  I was determined.  I had glass I could use.  I just had to find out how to make the faux sea glass.  I had an idea of what would be involved.  I was sure the glass was etched (chemically or mechanically).  I knew I wasn’t going to invest in a sandblaster, a tool used to create beautifully etched glass for windows, doors, screens, and wall art.  I did have a tumbler that I used to polish and smooth some of my lampwork beads.  Thus the investigation began…

Come back soon and have a laugh on me because I really had no idea what I was in for when I decided I wanted to create some jewelry with faux sea glass!