Workshop-Making Cards from Recycled Materials

The table full of supplies

    

Tags

Workshop participants

Yesterday, a wonderful supportive daughter and friend participated in my "practice workshop".  It looks like they were having fun.  During this workshop, crafters learned to make cards from recycled materials using a variety of techniques including rolled paper beads, woven paper strips, collage and origami.  We used recycled magazines,  book pages,  newspapers and blank cards.  We also used paper punches and magic markers.  Above are some of the tags we made.  Below are some more cards:

Collage card

Tube bead & paper punch card

Going through this practice workshop helped me time the activities and make a thorough list of supplies.  I am sure this "practice" will be invaluable in making the workshop in November a total success.  Besides the types of cards pictured above, we made a lattice card.  This card is made from strips of recycled paper, the more varieties the better!  To make a lattice card,  just follow the directions below.  You will be using a frame card, made to display photos

 1.  Put two pieces of ½” double faced tape on each end of a blank card that can be inserted in the frame.   Lay ½” strips across the insert card spanning the two pieces of tape.   Position the first strip in the center of the card.  Then put 3 strips on each side leaving almost 1/4” on each edge.  Butt strips next to each other.  You will use about 7 strips.  This forms the framework for weaving.  Trim when done.

2. Now weave the other strips through the framework, going over/under every other frame work strip.  Space strips evenly across the card. You will use about 9 strips.  I used white strips here, so you could see the process.

3. When you get the strips placed the way you like them use a dab of glue to hold each end in place.  Trim ends.

4. Once it is dry, slide insert card with paper weaving in the pocket, so it shows in the frame.  Now decorate front of card as desired or write a greeting.

Try making a few of these cards, every card comes out differently!  

Be sure to check my Etsy site this week.  

Talk to you all soon,

anne

Sunday in the Park

Wanderlust Yoga @ Pier 63, NYC

Anne & Tori @ Wanderlust

Tori's Triangle

Hi to all,

You can see Tori and I spent last Sunday at Wanderlust NYC.  We practiced yoga with about 2000 other yogis in Hudson Park.  What a wonderful event!  Lots of yoga, music, incredible demonstrations and sunshine.  It was all for the benefit of Yoga Aid which supports the charity of your choice.The perfect day to spend in the park.  We had a great afternoon, followed by a dynamite dinner at Le Grainne Cafe in NYC.  Great little French cafe!  Try it if you are ever in Chelsea.

Last week I showed you a new tube bead idea.  Well this week I strung those beads into two bracelets.  They would look great worn together or separately.  They each have a different pattern and I did mix the colors up a bit.  Amazingly, all of the beads for both bracelets, plus 18 more, were made from one piece of great color "junk mail".  If you see any piece of paper with great colors, colors that speak to you, just grab it.   Believe me you will use it.  Above are the two new bracelets, hope you like them.  I'll have them posted on my Etsy site soon.  Let me know what you think.

Last, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 27th for the Croton Fall Arts Market.  Get a jump start on Holiday shopping! I know some of you readers even live in Croton, I'd love to see you.

Check out my Etsy site--annemadethis.  And thanks for all of your support.

Bye, talk to all of you soon,

anne

Labor Day

Hi everyone,

OK I am a few days late, but happy Labor Day to all!  

Labor Day marks the end of summer and the start of the new school year.   The holiday celebrates the contributions of the American worker, it is on the first Monday of September.  It is one of the few holidays that does not have a religious tradition, even the first Labor day was celebrated with parades and picnic and fun!  For over 100 years we have continued marking the Day with parades, barbecues, picnics and now a 3-day weekend of sales!  Hope you all enjoyed the holiday!

Striped Tube Beads

These beads are yet another variation of the tube bead.  I think they will look great  as a bracelet in either a stripe or checkerboard pattern.  Nice fall colors, right?  I'll make a few bracelets from these beads and post them on my Etsy site.   Later I will post a tutorial for making these beads.

And finally, with the help of my most trusted advisers, I am trying to develop more "shopper friendly" displays for my bracelets.  Bracelets in my original display are difficult for potential customers to handle or try on.  With this new three-tier display, the bracelets are lying in a bed of dried beads.  Now they are easy to pick up and try on.  What do you think?  I'll try it out at my next craft fair this fall.

Three-tiered Bracelet Display

Well that's it for tonight, talk to you all soon.  Check out my Etsy site and let me know what you think.  My next craft fair will be the Croton Fall Arts Fair on October 27th.

anne

More Uses for Paper Beads

Memory Wire Bracelet-Violet Cereal Box

Halloween Bracelet

Greetings All,

Although it's not getting cooler, it is getting darker earlier and earlier now.  We are seeing a few of the first signs of fall. Another sign of the season, I'm making my paper beads in darker more jewel like colors now.  Take a look at the violet memory wire bracelet, the colors are deep and rich--perfect for fall fashions.  

And I've made a bracelet for Halloween, each bracelet has a couple of paper beads and a Halloween lamp work glass bead.  So cute and lots of fun for little girls.  I'll have these bracelets at the Croton Fall Arts Fair; Saturday, October 27th.  Just in time for Halloween!  If you want the bracelet sooner you can leave a comment on this blog or contact me through my Etsy shop.

Another Craft Idea

As the holiday season rolls around, you can make great cards and tags with paper beads embellishments.    These cards and tags will cost a fraction of what you pay in the card shop.  And you will be recycling those  magazines you have!

Use  toothpicks to roll these beads, so they will be nice and tight.  Follow the basic directions for the tube paper beads in my earlier tutorial.  I usually do not glaze the beads used for cards and tags. They come from glossy magazine stock and they just look better left as is.    Here are some samples I made.

The candles, the rays of the sun and the branches of the tree are all thin tube paper beads.  They are cut from magazine pages, rolled on tooth picks and glued.  Once the paper beads were dry, they were glued to the cards.   Looks like fun, right?!!

Check my Etsy site for new things and let me hear from you soon.

See you all soon,

anne

Tube Bead Bracelet Tutorial

"Color is my daylong obsession, joy and torment."

                                                                   -Claude Monet

San Giorgio Maggiore Venice at Twilight




Memory Wire Bracelet-Spring Green

Memory Wire Bracelet-Yellow Cereal Box 2

Wine Glass Charms made with Paper Beads

These are some things that I worked on this week, of course more memory wire bracelets!  But I will stop those soon.  They just look so dramatic on your wrist.  The newest item is a set of wine glass charms.  They are fun at parties, help guests keep track of their drinks and make great hostess & holiday gifts.  Check my Etsy site for postings.

TUBE BEAD BRACELET TUTORIAL



 

Above are examples of the Elastic Tube Bead Bracelet.  Each bracelet looks very different, depending on the paper used to form the bead.  To start, you will need about 32  3/4" long beads to make the bracelet. (Directions for making beads are on my July 16, 2012 post. ) You will also need about 55" of 1mm. clear elastic to make the bracelet.

1. Take the first bead and center it on the elastic, keeping both ends even.

2. Take one end of the elastic and thread it through the second bead, take the other end of the elastic and thread it through second bead from the other end.  Pull both ends of the elastic tight.  Make sure both hanging ends of elastic are even and the two beads are laying flat.

3. Continue in this manner, threading the beads from each end of the elastic.  Be sure to keep bracelet and tighten after each bead until bracelet measures about 7 1/2"-8" (will stretch to fit almost any size wrist).

4. Hold both ends of elastic and pull each bead, starting with the second bead, to tighten the preceding bead.  This will remove all of the slack from the elastic thread.

5. Take each end of the elastic and string through opposite ends of the first bead.  This will make your flat bracelet into a loop.  Pull tight.

6. Take one end of the elastic thread and thread it through the bead adjacent to the first bead.  Both ends of the elastic will be on the same side.  

7. Make sure all is tight and then knot elastic several times.  Put a dot of cement, GS-Hypo cement or E6000 and the knot will be secure forever.  Let dry and cut off remaining elastic.

Try these directions out. If they seem complicated, let me know where and I will try to clarify them.  Have fun!

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop and like me on Facebook.

Talk to you soon,

anne



New Ideas and Things

Vintage pins made from very old buttons, Havre de Grace, MD

Hi to everyone,

Last weekend I traveled to Maryland.  One of the stops I made was Havre de Grace where I visited an amazing button shop.  The proprietor was 77 years old and had been collecting buttons since she was a child.  I wish I had taken more pictures, the shop was stuffed with all kinds and colors of vintage and antique buttons.  She made these  pins about 35 years ago.  I thought they were unusual, interesting.

Paper bead memory wire bracelets by annemade.  this

Above are some memory wire bracelets I made last week, incorporating my paper beads.  They are posted on  my online Etsy site annemadethis.  These wire bracelets wrap around your wrist 5-6 times, they form a 2" cuff.  Very luxurious!  The colors are spectacular!  Check them out.

I have developed another way to make the Collage Art bead.  Originally I had posted a short tutorial on this in on February 2, 2012.  Well here is another way to get some of the same effects.  Below is a sample of some Collage art beads I made today.

Collage art beads

 1.  Start with a panel from a cereal box or any other light cardboard carton.  The more white and pale areas there are on the box, the more pronounced the color effects will be.  Using a medium size paint brush, cover the entire carton front with white glue in an even layer.

2. Take colored tissue paper (the colors you want your beads to be) and rip it in sections.  Glue it all over the cereal carton front in a haphazard manner.  See picture.

3. Make sure the tissue and glue dries thoroughly and that all pieces of tissue are firmly adhered to the carton.  Sometimes a little glue brushed on top of the tissue helps this.

4. After it is dry, turn carton over and trim excess.  Draw triangles the size you want.  Cut and roll triangles as shown in the tutorial of January 9, 2012.

5. You may add other embellishments, such as string, ribbon, glitter or more tissue at this point.  Then coat the bead with two coats of ultra-thick gloss.  Let dry thoroughly.

If there are any questions, please contact me.  Happy crafting!  Would love to see some examples of what you do.

Stop by my Etsy site and like me on facebook!

Talk to you soon,

anne

Looking towards the fall

Henri Rousseau

Hi to all,

Boy the hotter and muggier it gets around here, the slower and muggier my brain gets.  It seems like we are in the middle of a rain forest  summer today! 

We found out the other day that our booth made the local news services.  There were a couple of photos taken at the  Peekskill Craft Fair, you can see them if you follow this link.  We are in photos #7 and #8. 

I've been working on some custom orders lately.  I love collaborating with a customer and incorporating their new ideas into a project.  Here is a bracelet I've been working on.  The original bracelet I posted several weeks ago is teal & turquoise buttons; my friend wanted her bracelet to be made of black & white vintage buttons.  This is what I have so far, what do you think?



                                     



So even though it is only the first of August, it seems the calendar for the fall and the holiday season
is rapidly filling up.  Tentatively, I already have the following scheduled:

                                    October 27: Croton Arts Fair
                                    November 3: Greenburgh Nature Center Workshop
                                                          & Holiday Sale
                                    December 1: Tarrytown Holiday Fair

I will certainly keep all of my local fans informed about when and where I will be this fall.

So as I learned the hard way last winter, now is the time to start stocking up on your best sellers and reworking the stuff that is stale.  I have gotten some good constructive criticism from friends and family on displays and jewelry pieces, I am working on putting those ideas in place.  Also customers have given me ideas on new pieces they would like to see. So it is work, work, create create now.

Check my Etsy shop for new postings!
Talk to you soon,

anne