Craft Supplies: The Gift That Keeps Giving.

For Christmas, one of my friends sent me a pair of Skullcandy headphones.  Another of my friends gave me a ton of glass beads and really intricate charms.  I needed new headphones and, as a crafter, I always need new beads and charms.  The charms were a great deal smaller than anything I'm using right now, so I was brainstorming ideas for them when it dawned on me that I could use them for a trendy craft project.

Come to Momma.

In stores, I've been seeing all kinds of heavily decorated headphones, blinged out ear buds and other music enjoyment paraphenalia.  As much as I'd love a pair of earbuds that look like sushi rolls, bat shaped Mp3 covers, or a set of sparkly cupcake headphones, I can't see the point in buying them. Typically, these things cost a lot of money and are poor quality.  Why should I pay $30 bucks for a pair of pretty headphones that sound like tin cans in a bag?  So, it became my mission to vamp up my headphones.  By vamp-up, I mean...

Maila Nurmi- Vampira

It's actually pretty easy to decorate a pair of headphones, once you know how you kind of design you want to follow and what shapes you have to work with.  To get you started on your own DIY decorated headphones, here's a rough tutorial of how I modestly upgraded mine with just a few tidbits of craft supplies.  To vamp-up, sweeten, or bling your own headphones, you'll ALWAYS need the following:

Headphones (Duh)
E6000 glue
Ribbon (I chose a velvety sparkling kind)
Fabric or Leather scraps
Charms and Rhinestones
A Color Scheme

I made a rough plan of what I wanted to do with them before I even got started.  Skullcandy is NOT cheap and it would have been horrible if I messed them up permenantly.  I started my design by examining my headphones to see what parts of their external plastic would be easy to decorate without compromising their ability to function.

They're PURPLE!  Maybe I could work that into the design somewhere.

I spy with my little eye, a vestigial screw-port.

Remember kids, just because you can decorate something, doesn't mean you should.  There's a reason they don't have a market for rhinestone exhaust plugs for your tailpipes.

After inspection, I started to make stencils of the parts I intended to create decoration arrangements for.  This is important because it helps you get your placement down before you mess up anything.

First I roughly traced the half circle onto some paper, then checked it against the headphones to ensure accuracy...

Then I 'doubled' the half circle with a vent cut out for the movable stems on the ear-pieces.

After I'd drafted a stencil to use, I brainstormed how I wanted to dress them up further.  I was able to narrow down what sorts of charms would work best with the current design of the headphones, where they would go and how I could tentatively line them up.  Since I already like the Skullcandy logo, I decided that I wouldn't cover it up.

Scrap leather from an old coat.  A bit of the old lining still clings to it.

I didn't really want anything TOO outrageous.  Just a little glimmer here and there, you know?   I traced my stencil for the sides of the headphones onto some scrap leather, then cut it out and glued it where it belonged.  I continued gluing things down according to the plan until the headphones were finished.  You'll see a final design on my next post- Tomorrow.


MWAHAHAHA!

Bookoo

About a week ago, I received a message from a Bookoo representative, Kellin Smith.  Apparently, they are looking to promote their new Chicago branch.  I was quite surprised, of course, but I opted to reply to the message with some questions.  I'd never heard of Bookoo before.  Naturally, being a curious little ferret, I asked Mr. Smith lots of questions.

First off, Bookoo is a garage sale style listing site for artisan crafts and other goods.  Unlike craigslist, it primarily trades goods and services.  There's no job listings and very few ponzi scheme listings that tell you how you can make up to $400 dollars per day selling widgets and policies to other people.  It's easy to navigate and you don't have to filter as much because there's less spam. 

Here's how the short interview went down. 

How long has Bookoo been active as an organization?
     About seven years. The owners started Bookoo in Texas. As it kept expanding, they moved to Illinois to be closer to family.

What sorts of transactions does it support, besides online 'garage sales'?

     You can post about online yard sales, you can also list items of service, items to trade, and wanted ads.

Does Bookoo have any special features for crafters or artisans?

    You are able to offer the service of "$5 painting of whatever" or something like it.

Are local artisans benefiting from Bookoo now that it has come to Chicago?

     It is a site where they can go to showcase their work. If someone is interested in one of their items, they can see more items from that seller.

Will Bookoo ever host any offline special interest fairs or outdoor events that local artisans can participate in?

    Occasionally we do a Bookoo summer picnic. 2013 we did one for Aurora, Oswego, and Naperville. Last year we did just a big Bookoo picnic and invited all the nearby sites.

Are there any other reasons to be excited about Bookoo besides the ability to list items for sale?

    It's free! We don't charge members to post items. Also, we keep it family friendly by blocking profanity and deleting inappropriate items.

Does it support applications like paypal?

    No, the members interact with each other and usually pay cash.

What's your role in it?

    I am a marketing intern. I work full time doing whatever Adam and Austin need me to do. Most of the time it's spreading the word about Bookoo to our newer sites!



So there you have it.  Bookoo allows you to list FOR FREE.  You can offer goods and services.  You can rest assured that you won't have to deal with people seeking sexual favors after seeing you post photos of a fabulous scarf you made, and, there's the possibility of you being able to go to a picnic in the summer.  I know a lot of artists trade services and such between each other.  Bookoo could be another way for us to all network.  Check it out, try it out and send me a message about what you think.

Sweet Heart

I decided to work on something simple this time.  Beaded chain, swarovski crystal accents and a gentle, sweet and feminine pendant keep this particular necklace delicate, yet playful.    It's perfect if you want a bit of glimmer around your neck, but not a lot of big bold statements.  Honestly, as fun as statement necklaces are to make, they don't wear well with EVERYTHING.  Sometimes a good old pendant without the frippery works fine.

When you're putting together a design, something to always consider is color scheme.  Pink and gray is one of my favorite combinations.  Where pink is usually seen as lively and warm, gray is just the opposite. Dull, lifeless and cold.  Together they capitalize on each other's strengths and weaknesses.  I used dull, brushed steel for my findings: eyepins and clasp.

 For the beads, I chose pink AB swarovski rhondelles, shiny swarovski metallic pewter rhondelles, and pale pink semi-opaque bead with a subtle gray pearl iridescence.  It makes the beads seem to glow.  The swarovski transparent pink beads would normally have their sheen dulled by the brushed steel findings, but the AB and the addition of the metallic beads reflects more light onto them and makes them stand out.  Combining light and shadow makes an optical illusion.  The dull, matte texture of the findings lets them fade into the background while the iridescence of the beads makes them stand out.  Together, the beads seem to float, suspended on nothing.  And then you have the pendant, pale, frosty pink, catching your eye at the last minute with a surprising amount of intricacy.

It's a match made in heaven.  ....Well, it's really pretty.

Ciao Bella!

Andromeda Strain

One of my favorite colors is an always will be purple.  There is something that I find pleasant and attractive about that particular band of light wave-lengths.  Many positive energy gurus and spiritualists believe that it holds the power to unlock intelligence and energize the mind.  This method of belief goes all the way back to gemstone lore.  It's not 'New Age' it's more of 'Since Forever Age'.

Andromeda Strain was a sci-fi story, in case you missed the reference.

Honestly, I don't know about all that.  I just like the color..  Speaking of the color.  I didn't make the beaded chain you see here. I bought some of the very prefabricated stuff I ranted about and accused of making the crafting less like crafting.  You needn't be alarmed, though.  I don't take and use most crafting supplies in the form they are given, especially not something I could have made myself.  I have to differentiate it.

I started by measuring the chain, then cut it up.  I wanted the point where the drop that forms the Y to have even weight distribution.  This required shifting the beads around and altering the pattern in the chain.  After that, the chain was asymmetrical; I kind of liked that, so I played with it to get the balance right.  Balanced the weight on both sides of a necklace is what helps the elements stay perfectly in place.  

The iridescent drops magnify the depth of the pendant.

Once my mischief with the chain was managed, I pecked through my stash to find some swarovski crystals that would match the ones already worked into the beaded chain.  I was not disappointed and I was very happy to have gotten rid of some more iridescent purple beads.  They were leftover from something else, but there weren't enough to make an entirely new piece of jewelry.  I used them to increase the drama around the focal, which came out nicely.

Well, I might use beaded chain again if I have opportunity to work it into something like this.  It DOES help save time and my wrist.  I've gotten carpal tunnel wire-wrapping seed pearls for an accent on a necklace before.  It was monstrous. 

Ancient Historical Artifacts

I've been crafting for a long time.  It's in my blood.  For as long as I can remember, everyone in my household had hobbies and were eager to include other members of the family on it.  Of course, not everyone has the same taste in hobbies, so as the only child in the household, my crafting education was well-rounded.  I got to try tons of new things as I discovered which hobby set I was passionate about.  I had lots of successful and failed projects in both my preferred hobbies and in the ones I loathed (here's looking at you woodworking.). 

Do you remember any of your first projects?  I don't.   I don't even have any of the first things I ever made.  They were either given away or lost when we moved from my childhood home.  However, my mother, The Mahogany Stylist keeps a Ren-made artifact on her dresser.  It has been there so long that the string has yellowed and old school metal pony beads have lost much of their luster.  I'm going to show it to you.

I didn't polish all of the beads because I wanted to preserve the authenticity.

I can't, for the life of me remember why I made it.  However, I do remember the approximate time of year and the reasoning behind the pattern.  My father was always very into the Pan African Tribal motifs, designs and color patterns.  So, from the center of the necklace, it follows the pattern of the Pan African flag.  Red for the blood, Black for the people, and Green for the fields of Africa.  Since it's Black History Month, I felt that this is a perfect way to bring it in.

Prefab Jewelry Supplies

I started making jewelry, like most, when I was just a little kid.  Nothing special, just the typical pony beads and shoelaces type of stuff.  Besides barrel clasps and fishing line, that was the most sophisticated, prefab jewelry-making supply.  It's pretty funny to call pony beads sophisticated now considering how most people see them now.

 

Cue the EDM!  But remember, PLUR!

These days, pony beads are smashed in the kid's playset sections with everything glittery and made of foam.  The pony bead's position shows just how far the prefab jewelry supply market has come and fallen..  You'd think that a jewelry-maker would be excited by the prefab options available.  But I HATE it.

It started small, with more pendant options and some beaded chain.  At first, I thought that the growing popularity of jewelry-making would just make it easy for me to find a wider variety of findings, clasps, and gain better access to high quality crystals and beads.  

Ooh la la..

But then, the pre-made market exploded.  With so many units to push, the jewelry supply business has visibly become less about making supplies available to CREATORS and more about pandering to people who have no passion for the craft.  It's about making ready-to-wear jewelry options that only need a new clasp attached.  That is not creating, it's wearing a pre-assembled, mass-produced thing without any application of your own personal vigor and saying, "I made it."

Courtesy of imgur.

I understand that everyone has to start somewhere, but I feel that when the crafting market makes a 'craft' so easy that there is no crafting involved, it has failed.   When craft stores begin to offer classes to bolster the sales of these color-by-numbers 'crafts' instead of classes that use available materials to turn creative sparks into blazes and infect the students with a desire to push it further than it has ever been before, they have failed.  When they are so successful in their marketing schemes that more creative-minded crafters repeatedly encounter hoards of wannabes who lash out at anyone who doesn't follow their color-by-numbers strategy, they have failed.  It cheapens the experience and appeals to a kind of person that makes crafting a generally unpleasant experience.

You're doing different things from me, I hate you!

I know it sounds like an awful lot of vitriol for something 'trivial'.  However, I am a creature who finds joy, peace and inspiration in the craft aisles.  I enjoy exploring the different sections, laying out inspiration pieces next to each other and scratching a quick work-up of what I intend to do with them in my notepad.  A trip to the craft store, for me, is an experience that brings me closer to where I want to be as a creator.

It's almost a religious experience.

When I am forced to encounter 'artisans' who ask why I'm buying so many 'bracelets' as I pick up strands of Jesse James beads and become they angry when I tell them that I'm making necklaces, it is a little obnoxious.  When I have people telling me, "that's for making earrings," because I picked up a packet of  Blue Moon Beads chandelier forms that I intend to use for a multi-strand necklace, it is a little insulting.  When I have to deal with 'artisans' who get angry, tell me that I'm doing MY craft wrong, and starting an unnecessary, one-sided argument about how 'stupid' I am for even thinking to make something different than what's posted in the promotional pamphlet or what's written on the packaging, it is a BIG problem.

Here is why: the creation of easy to use products that do not delay satisfaction has been statistically proven to increase impatience and aggression.  Jewelry supply makers have turned a slow, progressive hobby into a mixed bag of volatile self-gratifying, self-absorbed, and spoiled tyrants, people who genuinely enjoy the craft, and dedicated artisans. One of those groups is not like that others in the fact that they are much more aggressive and confrontational for no reason.  Where the other two groups are content to explore the craft aisles, share experiences, encourage and inspire each other, this new group is focused so much on competitively reaching the finish line so they can wave their label 'artisan' in other people's faces.

The only thing that the craft store and the jewelry supply companies have done at that point is ruined trips to the craft store for me and forced me to locate and procure my own supplies, at a better price from someone else.



Images taken from Google search.

Knowing Your Friends: A Theorhetical Guide For Gift Giving.

Many people have trouble picking gifts for their loved ones.  You have to figure out if so-and-so is still into this thing or that thing.  Gift-giving requires a lot more brain-power than we're used to.  You have to relate past events, decipher a person's behaviors and common motives in order to get something good.  That takes effort.  People don't like EFFORT.  Each year, I'm sure that tons of women get gifts of scented bath things, gift cards to decidedly 'girly' stores, jewelry or something else that makes people state proudly that 'buying for women easy'.  What a joke.

....yay.

Buying for women is the same as buying for guys.  Still it's a lot easier than people think- IF you pay attention.  That's the key to never forcing someone to feign joy over a pitiful gift ever again.  Pay attention to what they like.  Take note of what they get excited over, what they talk about, what they use often, and what they haven't already bought for themselves.

A few years ago, my friends and I took a vow to never buy the 'typical' go-to gifts for women for each other or anyone else ever again.  So far, it's been a success.  No one gets jewelry, knick-knacks, fragrances or lotions unless it's something really cool that they haven't heard about yet, or it's a fragrance that we already know the recipient likes.  Nothing is returned to the store, no sad faces appear at our holiday parties, and we, as a group, get the best gift that can be given: frequent heart attacks brought on by the terror of unexpected shrieks of excitement. 

You're happy, but we need a better way to express it.

The fact that we pay attention to each other's likes and dislikes isn't just a way to ensure we get the perfect gift.  It also forces us to have a better and deeper understanding of each other as people.  We have to listen to each other, observe each other's moods, and share in each other's favored activities even if it's not something we'd pursue on our own.  We're face-to-face with each other's differences and we learn appreciate every single one. 

It breaks barriers that we didn't realize were there and makes us stronger as a group.  We share our triumphs, trials and embarrassments.  We aren't caged by self-doubt or suffering in silence, because we're aware that there's someone who will listen and help without judgment. Or... you know, we could all just be crazy.

I don't think we're crazy.  I honestly think we've got a good thing going.  Our interests are reaffirmed by our peers.  We're constructively and actively listening to each other.  Most importantly, the people we share our lives with are willing to be HONEST with us when we're wrong and supportive when we're not.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, take this into consideration before you buy someone a lame card, those God-awful chocolates, or worse, some uncomfortable chaffing underwear that's more for you than them: Any holiday that is about LOVE, APPRECIATION, and CARING should only include gifts that are purchased with the goal of making the recipient happy.

All photos courtesy of Google images.