Mandala Pendant DIY

 

 

The surge in popularity of mandalas, both in creating them and coloring these enchanting circles is not quieting down.
Mandala, which is a Sanskrit word for a "sacred circle" has taken over the world of crafters and you can find them made in a wide variety of materials.

Today, Classy Clay Jewelry artist is going to show us how to make a clay pendant mandala. So without further ado, follow her tutorial to make one.

Drawing is relaxing and unwinding. Have you heard of mandalas? I adore them. With this tutorial I have combined my favourite life areas - drawing, polymer clay work and psychology.

Jung studied mandalas and according to him they portray the psychical balance of an individual. The drawing of a mandala is a deep meditative practice.
Today we are going to make a clay mandala.

Supplies you need:

1. Polymer clay (Fimo soft)
2. Liquid polymer clay - Liquid Fimo
3. Alcohol ink (Adirondack Alcohol Ink) or an alcohol pen(Spectrum noir) 
4. Polymer clay knife 
5. Clay silk screen kit by Sculpey

6. Pasta machine

Step 1:

Take the white polymer clay, work it well and slide it through the pasta machine to get the desired thickness. If you don't have a pasta machine, use a metal or glass clay roller.

 

 

 

Step 2:

Take the Sculpey Clay silk screen kit.

- Choose the silk screen pattern and metallic paint for your project. Shake paint well before use.

- Remove the backing paper from silk screen and position the screen shiny side down on top of the sheet of clay, smoothing the screen down with your fingers to eliminate any wrinkles. 

-Squeeze a line of paint above your pattern. Place the squeegee above the line of paint and pull down with light and even pressure. Do  this until the entire design is covered with paint.

-While paint is still wet, carefully remove the silk screen and immediately place the silk screen and squeegee in warm water. Gently rub the paint off using your finger and lay screen flat on a paper towel to dry.  Do not allow paint to dry on the screen.

Step 3:

Shape the pendant with a polymer clay knife. The next phase is baking at 110° C for 30 minutes. The fun begins when it cools down.

 

Step 4:

Coloring. You can use an alcohol ink or permanent markers. Work on the color design of your mandala. Wait patiently for it to dry.

 

 

Work on the back. Add a ring at a back orif you decide on making this a brooch, then add a brooch pin. Bake again at 110° C for 30 minutes.

 

 

Step 5:

Coat it with fimo polish or epoxy resin. Of course you can always leave the matte finish as well.

In the end, the pendant will capture and represent a constant remainder of your mood that day!

 

 

9 DIY Summer Projects

 

 

Summer is here guys! At last.

And it is the perfect time to make something for your body and soul.

We chose 9 interesting and easy-to-do projects that we hope  you are going to enjoy like this gorgeous brass himmeli hanging where you can not only store your jewelry, but also flower pots and even make an interesting lamp covering with it. Beautify your sofa with stamped geometric pillows and lots of diamonds and give your skin some glam with these sense pleasing gemstone soaps.

 

 

 

 

If you are into boho ruffles - try making these these lovely pillows then.

 

 

 

 

Add some incredibly fresh wall decor using roses  and if you want a more permanent installation you can try these bohemain hoops.

 

 

 

 

Finnaly, give a bling to your looks making these enticing rings and  bracelets .

 

 Get ready for summer in time and enjoy crafting!

Classy Clay Jewelry Interview

 

 

Inspiration Monday is here and today I want you to meet a designer who masterfully changes clay into amazing jewelry designs. Dear readers, meet Classy Clay Jewelry!

 

 

Boho Necklace  Boho Earrings

1. Tell us a bit about  Classy Clay Jewelry? What  is the story behind your jewelry?

 

I have always loved jewelry. When I was a child, my mother and aunt used to buy a lot of jewelry for me. As a teenager, I bought it myself. And I always had ideas swarming up, of jewelry I wished I had, so once I had a jewelry shop make a set of jewelry according to my design. When I came upon a piece of polymer clay jewelry on the internet, I knew that was the right thing for me. And that's how it all started.

 

Blue Rustic Earrings

 

 

 

2. What was your start like?  How long have you been making  jewelry?

I spent hours upon hours watching free tutorials on the internet. That is how I got acquainted with the basics and went head strong to create something new. That was 5 years ago.

 

3. What did you make first and how did it all change during the years?

 

Creating my first pieces of jewelry I felt inner satisfaction that pulled me into further learning and creating and overcoming obstacles that I faced on the way.

I first made necklaces, which I personally love wearing, and little by little I introduced other pieces of jewelry.

 

The materials I use have not changed a lot since the start. Of course I've made some additions, but the shape of my jewelry is completely different today than it was before. I tend to continuously change and improve the techniques I use, probably due to my exploring, adventurous and never-resting spirit.



Gustav Klimt Pendant

 

 

4. What materials you use the most in creating your jewelry and what motifs do you turn to?

Inspiration?

 

In my work ,I mostly use polymer clay which is the foundation for everything and aside from that I also use epoxy resin.

In my polymer clay work I also use pigment colors, but let's keep that a secret.

 

Then there are the finished elements like chains, various trays and settings. I love geometry, so it is a frequent design in my work. Because I love nature, it also influences my work. I love when I manage to gain a rustic effect when I work with earth colors. 

 

 Boho Pendant

 

5. Who is your jewelry intended for?

My jewelry is intended for women with attitude that love wearing something different, but pieces that are versatile so one can wear them during the day with a casual outfit, but also in the office.

 

With this type of jewelry you'll be recognized as a person treasuring  handmade artwork.

 

Orange Art Earrings

 

Classy Clay Jewelry can be found here.

If you like her jewelry, Classy Clay has prepared a clay jewelry tutorial for us, so drop by tomorrow for it!

 

 

3 Easy Weekend Crochet Projects for Home

Via

Happy Saturday guys!
I wish I could say that we are out hiking the beautiful green hills and mountains surrounding us, enjoying the sun and enchanting fruits of nature, but in reality we are covered in dust, cleaning and clearing because we have some small renovation works going on right now.

Which leads me to the topic for today - small and easy weekend projects. We wanted to make something interesting (and very fast to make) for Eva's room and we chose these three projects that are instant beautifiers of whatever place you put them in.

Our favourite is the feathered dream catcher we featured on Monday - isn't it a stealer?

 

Via

 

Via

 

Bra Wires into Boho Necklaces

 

 

 

 

You, my veteran followers, know I come up with the weirdest (or should I say the most practical) ideas when it comes to reusing / repurposing something. So if you were attracted by the title of this post... Yes.. it's true. I made necklaces using brassiere wires.

 

Well, don't be so surprised because this isn't anything new. Back in 2011 I met two wires which led a sad, dull and secluded life, confined to the silky walls of a lace brassiere. They always dreamed of having a more fulfilled life, one full with excitement and the joys of the fashion world, but alas! They weren't destined for anything bigger and it wasn't until I heard their desperate whisper that I decided to use my seam reaper and let them free.... and the rest is history.

 

 

But seriously. Back then, I got engulfed by the idea of repurposing bra wires and it even ended up in a magazine, so I decided to give the idea a new twist this time, hoping it will turn into something tangible, and it did.

 

How it all started? Well, I have always hated wearing underwired brassieres because I simply cannot endure the constant probing and prodding and I didn't need my OB to tell me they are major causes for numerous problems in women, so as soon as I buy them, the wires get out. And as I hate throwing away a good piece of wire (one can never know what one can do with it!) I came up with the idea of turning them into necklaces.

 

The crochet instructions are up there in the first link, while for these two I used a different technique which is quite simple, so anyone can do it.

 

Supplies:

* (preferably) brassier underwire

* crochet yarn / thread

* lots of beads (any shapes, sizes), tassels, ribbons.... whatever suits your fancy

* metal chain, jump rings, clasps

* (silicone glue)

 

 

 

Instructions:

Wrap each wire separately, tying a little knot at the ends and leave a long tail. When both are wrapped, apply glue and wrap the tails over the glued part.

 

For the purple/pink/orange one I used a big holed bead so, the place where the wrap ended had to be chunkier to fit / fill the hole and I also added glue to the bead itself to make the construction more stable. ALSO, if you plan on adding beads on the wire, this should be done before gluing. For this particular necklace I only decorated the lower wire by attaching beaded pins and tassels. I added (wrapped) metal caps to hide the chunky part that still peeked. On the ends I put clasps and joined it to bigger jump rings and a metal chain.

 

 

 

For the green necklace, I did the wrapping the same with the second tail being much longer which I used to wrap around both wires, but before that, I added some beads onto the wires, so first I suggest you have a design ready for this. I "closed" the necklace the same as I did the pink one.

 

So what do you think? Do you like these? Would you try making anything with underwires?

 

Summer trend: Straw bags

 

 

 

 

Straw bags! You've got to love them because their comeback is spectacular! They once modestly reigned the dusty corners of thrift shops, lying in piles forgotten by all, but managed to regain their rule and popularity out in the streets and now you can find them literally everywhere and in every imaginable shape. And they cannot be more beautiful.

 

Whether you are readying yourself  to do some shopping or arranging quick drinks with friends, the straw bag is your true companion because according to leading fashion editors they are going to be all the craze this summer.  

 

Small enough to contain the necessary things for a night out like a clutch or  one of those widely loved round bags, or big enough in the shape of a tote for a day at the beach. The choice is yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post was originally posted on our TLT Blog and we borrowed it from here. Do visit our other blog and we would appreciate if you share your love across the social media. Thank you!

Insta Feel - Colourful Crochet

Via

Hello dear people!
It's sunny and bright in my part of the world. I hope you are also having a wonderful Monday and to make it even beautiful and inspirational I am inviting you to grab a cup of {your drink of choice} coffee and explore some colorful crocheted goodness with me. 
I am going to enrich this post with some beautiful, joyful and of course, colorful images to spruce it up. I am always on the lookout for appealing visual images with high aesthetics and instagram as such is a never-ending source. So plunge in and enjoy it!

Via

Via

       Via

Crochet Flower Rings

 

 

 

Being a crochet flower obsessed person, I never waste a good crocheted flower if I can find a way to incorporate it into my jewelry. So whenever the amount of flowers starts pouring out of the box it is time to put them to a good use.

 

Some of these are old but "upgraded" - with a layer of crochet petals or a whimsy touch of embroidery to match their fabric-buttoned hearts.

 

They are chunky, quirky and never fail to draw attention, or so I am told. I have a pattern for crocheted rings if you are into making some whimsical ones yourself.

 

 

Easy DIY Beaded Earrings

 

 

 

Hello beautiful people!

 

I hope you are in a mood for some easy crafting today, because I have the perfect, the easiest and the cutest project ready for you today.

 

Lately, I have been making tons of earrings, literally and this time I kept to the basics, so for this project you won't need any fancy and expensive materials. The key players in the project are jump rings and head pins.

 

 

Let's get busy.

 

For the Dangling chain earrings, you need:

 

1. Jump rings - {10 per earring}. Mine are 7mm/ 0.3" in diameter. 

2. Big colorful seed beads. 

3. Earring hooks.  

 

 

 

Add a bead on every second ring and make it as long as you'd like it to be. The ones in the picture are 6 cm/ 2.4" long. For a more appealing look you can add 2-3 such beaded chains in different lengths. Just saying.

 

Small Hoop Earrings

 

For these, you need big jump rings / connectors (1.5cm / 0.6") and beads in various shapes and sizes.

 

 

 

 

Just bead the design you come up with, add the hook and there you go. All done in a  couple of seconds.

 

 

 

 Dangling Headpin Earrings

 

 

 

You need:

 



1. Beads in various sizes, shapes and colors
2. Earring hooks, jump rings
3. Eye / head pins

1. Beads several beads onto a pin after working on the design and make an eye when finished. Make a couple more, adding a different design to make the earring more appealing.
2. Put all on a jump ring and attach the jump ring to the hook. And there they are in a jiffy!
 

3. If you want to add more pins, attach each onto a separate jump ring and all of them onto a bigger ring and then on the hook.

 

 

 

 

Hope you like these and make some to spice up your summer!