California Dreamin' ....On Such a Cloudy Day

Do you ever ask a question, only to answer yourself just a moment later?  I hadn't intended to create another travel or place themed bracelet so soon, but somehow I've got two more in the works.  One I already finished and another that's in pieces in my "to be created" bowl.

While I was working as a costume shop manager in Kentucky for the last several years, I got to know a wonderful dance professor named Lisa.  She always seems to be more full of energy and fantastic stories than anyone else.  I've often joked that she is my Fairy Godmother of Fun, swooping in to pull me out of my everyday routine, into an adventure at a moments notice. While Lisa adored her students in KY as much as I did mine, she longed to return to the home of her heart, California.  After a few years of looking, she found a new position teaching there, and is moving away this month.  While I'm thrilled for her, I'm also going to miss her terribly.  Her going away clearly called for a charm bracelet designed just for her and her dream of a new adventure in California.

I started with the idea of the dream of California as part of the American consciousness.  The idea that anyone can start anew there, can find their best self in this golden state of sunshine and promise.  And yes, the Mamas and the Papas did come to mind.  The idea of longing for the sun and warmth of California on a cloudy day.

The charms include a map of California, a dreamcatcher, disks that say "dream", shells, a surfboard, sun tan lotion and a palm tree from the beach, peace signs, grapes and a wine glass, a film canister, the bear and star from the state flag, a sandal, and of course the sun.

The beads are a mix of Czech glass and semi precious stones in shades of ocean blue, azure sky, plum wine, sand, and golden sunshine.  Since Cali has always had it's share of the hippy vibe, I included aquamarine which is thought to help connect you to your spiritual being, dragon veins agate to heighten creativity and protect against bad dreams, and purple jade to attract love to your life.  I can't wait to send it to her once she moves in a few weeks.  (Because everyone deserves to have gifts arrive by mail when they move into a new place!)  And even more, I can't wait till we could afford to go visit.  

California Dreamin' Charm Bracelet in my Etsy Shop

Meanwhile...  I'm working on another travel bracelet already.  This one is a custom order for a woman who lives here in Nashville, commemorating all the traveling she has done around the world. And she's been EVERYWHERE!  I couldn't believe the list of places on the list she sent me, and will be lucky if I ever get to see a handful of them. Since the last charms finally arrived today, I'm hoping to get the bead pins worked out this afternoon.  Here's a peek at the charms.

Who even knew you could find a whirling Dervish charm?  Or a tiny Taj Mahal?

Where Would You Go?

Working on my Egyptian Adventure Charm Bracelet got me thinking about the other places I'd like to eventually travel.  So far I've created travel bracelets based on several places I've been, including London, Paris, and New York, but there are so many others I'd like to see.  And of those possible future trips, one stands out.  New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

While I wouldn't turn down a visit to New Orleans any time of year, the costume designer in me just can't resist the idea of all those amazing costumes covered in rhinestones, feathers, and elaborate headdresses.  Bedecked in that much fabulous, who wouldn't want to party?

I dug through my stash to come up with charms that represented the spirit of "laissez le bon temps rouler".  Music, masks, and mirth.  I found saxophones, trombones and trumpets to represent the city's jazz traditions; a multitude of masks; shrimp and champagne for the city's cuisine and celebratory nature; and fleur de lis for their French heritage.

The beads were an easy choice; the traditional colors of the Mardi Gras are purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith.

All in all, it's a lively bracelet and I hope I've done New Orleans and Mardi Gras justice.  Now to begin conjuring up my next dream trip.  Munich during Oktoberfest?  Venice for Carnival?  New Year's in Sydney Harbor?  La Tomatina in Spain?  While I'm sure I'd love throwing the tomatoes, I'm not sure I'd like to be washing them out of my clothes later...  What about you?  Where would you go?

New Orleans Mardi Gras Charm Bracelet in my Etsy Shop

I Could Use a Little More Tea Time

I'm not sure what it's like where you are, but here it is raining.  A lot.  And while I do love being home on a rainy day, a few things have gotten old about this weather.  First of all the past several days of rain has meant that my dog refuses to go outside, and is spending most of her time hiding under my desk while I craft, rather than on the arm chair in my studio where she usually perches.

Astrid the Wonder Puggle, in her usual day time bed, er, throne. 

Second, it means that even with an overhead light, huge window, and desk lamp, my studio still feels dark.  So dark that I keep yawning and considering that Astrid might have the right idea by napping the day away.  But since I never have been able to nap (I just lay awake thinking about all the things I could be doing), I make another cup of tea and keep crafting.  This has led to the plan of making some new tea infusers for my shop.  But just what new themes should I put try next has got me stumped.  These are a few of my favorites, which all just happen to be fandom-inspired.

Time Turner Tea Infuser

Sherlocked Tea Infuser. How cute is the 221B key?

TARDIS Tea Infuser

Outlander Tea Infuser

What themes or charms would you like to see happen?  And what is your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

The Magnificent Hedwig; Deliverer of Mail & Guardian of Scissors

I take inspiration from wherever I can get it, but my favorite place is from my friends and fellow crafters, especially those who play with me over in the Harry Potter Craftalong.  The very talented AugustBell always seems to have something fun to share, and kind encouragement for the folks in the craftalong.  When she asked me to create a special Harry Potter scissor fob just for her, it got the Muses singing. But just what are scissor fobs you ask?

Scissor fobs serve a few functions.  First and foremost they clip to the handle of your scissors to help you keep track of the only craft tool on the planet that seems to actively try to run away when you're not looking.  They allow you to distinguish your scissors from everyone else's at events like quilt guild meetings, and clearly mark them as yours so no one else will try to grab them by mistake.  Lastly, they are just darn pretty.  Like bling for your craft supplies. And if you're not a crafter the fobs can also be clipped to zipper pulls, key rings, or add a little extra sparkle to your day as purse jewelry.

For this fob I dug through my stash looking for something unique for AugustBell.  I found some awesome Hedwig charms that I bought a while back, but haven't had a chance to use yet. They are so beautifully detailed, from the feathers on the wings to the curling scroll in her talons. I wanted to keep the colors close to the Hedwig of the book and film, rather than let it be just any old owl delivering a message, so I used crystal clear and smoke grey Czech glass beads, and a beautiful shimmering clear & white glass bead that I found buried in my stash.  I wish I could have captured the gentle shimmer of the focal bead, as it really is even prettier in person.

Now that she's been sent to her new home, hopefully she'll keep a good watch over August's scissors so they aren't stolen by mischievous pixies or doddering House Elves.

Hedwig Scissor Fobs in my Etsy

Where Do I Go From Here?

So often blogs are started with a nobel new project, or an exciting adventure on the horizon.  Readers are asked to begin a long trek with their writers, and bear witness to the ups and downs of the expedition.  This is not one of those times.  The truth is that I've been making and crafting and creating for so long, that I don't remember where the journey started from.  There is no map on this trip, and certainly no destination planned.  So instead of inviting you to begin a new quest with me, I bid you to join this odyssey somewhere in the middle, and together we'll see where it takes us.

Much of my crafting involves the jewelry, bookmarks, and other beaded baubles that I create for my Etsy shop, Mistress Jennie's , but I will also be posting about my other crafting endeavors like crochet, paper crafting, quilting, and cooking projects as the inspiration arises.  As I also run the Harry Potter Crafalong and frequent HP themed swaps on Craftster, so don't be surprised if you see some of these projects pop up here.

And now, let us continue my crafty expedition...

Last month my fantastically talented friend Shannon at flew the coop created a beautiful Heart of Darkness Trunk for Alpha Stamps.  She and I had a fun discussion about the romance of travel to exotic locales in the late 19th  & early 20th centuries.  While her project took her to darkest Africa, I longed for the glamour of Egypt in the teens and 20's.  With Howard Carter's uncovering Tutankamen's tomb in 1922, came a craze for all things Egyptian in home decor, fashion, beauty, and Hollywood, which produced pictures like The Mummy.

When I create a new bracelet design, I usually start with the charms, but this time I created the bead pins first.  I went with the colors and stones found most often in Egyptian jewelry; shimmering golds, bright turquoise, rich carnelian and beautiful lapis lazuli.  When I found the gorgeous iridescent Czech glass scarab beetles, I knew I had to include them too.

The result is an eclectic mix of semi-precious stones and glass beads.  After I had these assembled I moved on to the charms.  I wanted to capture that early 'Tutmania' feel, and so included Tut himself, ankhs, Cleopatra, a croc from the Nile, pyramids, palm tree, Horus, a few Pharaohs, sphinx, Isis, a camel, the Eye of Horus and Nefertiti.

"Sallah, I said NO camels! That's FIVE camels; can't you count?"

So friends, where should we go next?

Egyptian Adventure Charm Bracelet in my Etsy Shop

Harry Potter 'Silver Doe' Shrine Ornaments

I created three of these ornaments for my partners in the HP Holiday Swap.  I wanted to create something iconic from the Harry Potter books, but also keep it simple and understated.  Something subtly geeky, that could be just a beautiful ornament on the tree, but extra fun for those of us who recognize the scene.

For those of you who don't know the books, the scene comes from a moment in the 7th novel, where Harry is feeling sad and abandoned by his mentor; truly alone in the world.  At that moment a Silver Doe appears to him, walking among the trees outside his tent.  Despite the fact that he is on the run, pursued by evil wizards, he knows that the Silver Doe means him no harm, and is there to help him.  He follows it, and is led to the Sword of Gryffindor, which he needs in his quest to take down Voldemorte.

I really should have thought to take process pictures, so that I could create a tutorial, but I worked on them while listening to audio books on my phone/camera, so it slipped my mind!  But I'll relate as much as I can remember. 

It all started when I saw some adorable resin deer charms on Alpha Stamps website.  As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to create an ornament based on the Silver Doe. 

Next I needed a base to build on.  I tried peanut butter jar lids, but they weren't quite deep enough to create the underwater area for the Sword.  I looked for a small wood or paper-mâché form to use at Joann Fabrics, but nothing was the right size, shape or depth in that department. My husband eventually found gift card tins in the Christmas aisle.  Perfect size & depth!

Since I couldn't find any light colored ones, I spray painted the backs and sides silver.  (I also spray painted the Does at the same time, because they were turquoise rather than silver.) After the paint was dry it was time to make the backs and sides snowy!  I mixed a few drops of white paint into some glossy mod podge, then poured in a TON of white/translucent glitter, until I had a gloopy paste.  The outside of the tin got 2 layers of this treatment with a purple-ish white glitter, then the final outer coat was done with a slightly more yellow-pink white glitter, so there is more depth to the snow, with the brightest layer on top, but the under layers peeking through.

Next I cut a piece of deep blue cardstock for the back of each, and did a layer of silver mineral powder mixed with mod podge coming down from the top, fading out, and over that a layer of black glitter mixed into mod podge to add some depth and darkness to the sky.  The stars are tiny self-sticking jewels from the scrapbooking section.  I painted the inner sides of the tin with black enamel craft paint, then fitted the blue background papers into place. 

The big problem was how to create an area that was "underwater", for the Sword to be resting in.  I ended up cutting some floral foam to be the land area on the sides and painted it black.  Then I glued some small pebbles onto the bottom, and part way up the back.  (These were also from the floral section at Joann's.)  The swords are charms from my stash, and I glued a tiny Swarovski crystal to the top of each, since the Sword of Gryffindor is set with rubies.  Next I dug through the recycling and found some plastic packaging that was the right size & shape.  I basically wanted an "L" shape of plastic, so the Doe could stand on the top of the pool, and the underwater area would be covered as well.  I cut the plastic wider than I needed, hit the edges with some E-6000, and then stuck it into the floral foam.

Now that the underwater scene was set, I glued the Does in place, and added a layer of spanish moss to each of the banks, covering the edges of the plastic.  After that was in place I walked around the grounds of our apartment complex until I found shrubs with branches the right size to be tiny trees.  Each of the trees and the spanish moss got a light sprinkling of the mod podge-glitter snow.  Finally I popped 2 holes in the top with jewelry hole punching pliers, and threaded through some iridescent olive green ribbon to tie in with the moss. 

I have to admit that I lost heart in the middle of the project, worried that they were just NOT going to turn out as they existed in my imagination.  But by the end I was thrilled with them, and sad to see them go.  I wish I had thought to make 4 at the same time, to keep one for myself.  I do have one of the Does left, so perhaps I will pick up another tin and do one for me.  If I do, I'll be sure to take process pics and update this thread into a tutorial.

Steampunk Birdhouse In Your Soul ATB

I recently participated in the Artist Trading Block Swap.  For those of you who are wondering, an ATB, is basically a 3-D version of an ATC (Artist Trading Card).  A small work of art, to be given away and shared.  While stalking my partner's Pinterest I noticed she had pinned an altered art tag, which had the lyric "Make a little birdhouse in your soul" on it.  If you are unfamiliar with this brilliant song by They Might Be Giants, you can watch the video on Youtube.  A brief explanation is that the song tells the story of a nightlight, which watches over its owner while they sleep.  The night light tells the listener to make a birdhouse (being a safe place for something small and vulnerable) for the light it creates in their mind and soul.

And after seeing noodle-bug's amazing hand stitched Birdhouse for Your Soul, I knew I had to completely steal ahem, take inspiration from her example and create a Steampunk Birdhouse for amaryllisroze's Soul. 

The front contains an antiqued blue bird in a frame, as a reference to the lyric "Bluebird of friendliness", and a set of antiqued chipboard letters.

The first narrow side includes a window looking onto an Edwardian lady, and a metal bee, as a reference to the lyric "Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet."

The back contains a 3-D metal birdcage with a delicate Swarovski crystal heart dangling from it, in reference to the vulnerable parts of ourselves which we try to sheild.

The final side contains a bit of ruler, with a tiny hinged tin box that says "passion", and a light bulb full of glitter which is a reference to the fact that the song is told from the point of view of a nightlight.  Below that is a "Cherish" token, a clock, and the symbol for infinity, which references the line "My story's infinite".  While I was working on it, I searched high and low for a picture or embellishment with a lighthouse on it for this side, but seemed to be thwarted at every turn.  Of course I found the perfect one 2 days after shipping it.   :P

And finally, the whole thing is topped with a small bird's nest, which contains the Ace of Hearts, a gear, watch hand, a button, and freshwater pearl "eggs".  I had a devil of a time getting the nest to stay on top, so I ended up using a Vintaj brass embellishment, bent up into the shape of a bowl to support the nest.