Vintage Halloween Charm Swap! 2015 Come Join Us!!!

Hello all! I'm really excited to announce the Vintage Halloween Charm Swap for 2015! 

YAY!!

I did a vintage Halloween Charm swap in 2012 and it was so much fun I've decided to do another one.

Anyone can join! And I hope that you all will...

Here are the rules for the swap...

1. Charms should be no larger than 2 1/4 inches in any direction (not including the jump ring) Think "charm" not focal piece or pendant. (sorry I just realized my typo before it said 1 1/4 inch and was supposed to say up to 2 1/4 inch, sorry for those of you who have already started your charms.)

2. Charms should be inspired by "vintage Halloween" style, vintage Halloween images, and subjects.

3. Charms need to be well made with lots of detail (no all paper, or "a few plastic beads on a string" entries will be accepted) -use this as an opportunity to learn some new jewelry techniques or pull out a few old faves. We want to see charms that we can wear year after year. Think glass beads, soldering, Ice Resin to seal paper, Wood, Wire Wrapping, Painting, Layers, tiny details, repurposed, etc, one or all.

4. Package each charm labeled with your name clearly displayed (to avoid confusion once I start swapping them all) (please do not label them with nothing but your blog name, it's too confusing. Feel free to put your name AND your blog info on each charm, we would love to visit) :)

5. Make the packaging for each charm pretty, spooky, etc. We all love to receive a pretty package. Do some stamping, stitches, painting...whatever floats your boat.

6. Create 10 charms (they do not all have to be the same, they can be different styles if you prefer, or 5 of one and 5 of another)

7. Charms should have a medium/large sz jump ring attached (lobster clasps are awesome for quick connect though not required)

8. Send charms along with $5 for priority shipping (check or cash) to Thespoena McLaughlin, 5130 Silent Grove Rd, Springdale, Arkansas  72762.  Charms must reach me no later than October 5th so that I have time to sort them, package them, and send them back out in plenty of time for Halloween. And it is Halloween so there will be goodies in your return boxes! :)

9. Have FUN! ! ! !

This is not required for participation because some people don't have blogs etc. But PLEASE share a link back to this blog along with the swap image so we can get lots of people signed up. The more the merrier! 

 So I hope you will join in, please comment below and let us know who's coming!

See blow for some of the charms and packaging from the 2012 swap!

 I thought the packaging on this one was really great! They enclosed this repurposed charm in white wax paper and sewed the edges with black and red thread, even sewed a little bobbie pin embellishment on it. Adorbs!

 This book of spells charm was made out of textured copper sheet with clay sculpted eye, so AWESOME!

 The little wire wrapped pumpkin made from a glass bead was cute and the copper etched medallion was the coolest!

 I thought the packaging on this eye charm was genius, made to look like the stamped skull was looking our at you, VERY COOL! ( a great example of making awesome packaging to go with your charm) A soldered charm with a soldered spider stuck to the front was unique and fun, and the witchy charm sealed with Ice Resin with the witch hat details was perfect!

 The potion bottle charm worked perfectly with the poison label and the other charms were very charming additions to our bracelets (some folks made a nice detailed charm and then sent accent smaller beaded charms to go with them)...

ICE Resin Halloween Inspiration...

Check out my Halloween post over on the ICE Resin blog

Happy Halloween Everyone! I hope you have a fun safe night of Tricks & Treats!

2013 Ice Resin Creative Team!....

Hey everyone, as promised I get to share some exciting news today.

I've been dyin to tell ya all week and today is finally here!

I made the Ice Resin Creative Team for 2012-2013!

Wow!!
I feel so honored to have been chosen to work with such amazing and creative people.

You can look forward to lots of great projects, art, jewelry, tutorials and more.

Check out the announcement on the Ice Resin blog...

http://iceresin.com/icequeen/2012/09/the-ice-resin-2012-2013-creative-team/

 

See you all tomorrow when I announce the rules for a really fun Halloween Charm Swap!

Have a great day!

A Halloween sort of Mood...

I'm so in the mood for Halloween.

I used to have a huge Halloween party every year. My friends and I spent months making decorations, props, and building a haunted house; making all the creepy foods and setting the atmosphere.

Then I started working for a big chain Halloween store and was so busy at that time of year I didn't get to do a thing for several years. It got so bad I didn't even want to take my kids trick or treating.  It almost...ALMOST ruined the holiday for me forever. 

But now I find myself in the mood for Halloween again, I miss the haunted house, I miss everyone coming over in their costumes, I just miss the whole feeling of it. 

So I've been revisiting some of my old Halloween creations like this ATC I made...

It was made by smearing modeling compound over an old cartoon collector card and then using a paintbrush to "draw" a design in the paste. After that I did lots of color washes to get that faded coloring and a final coat of thinned black paint which settled nicely into all the grooves. 

I really had so much fun with this piece, I think I'm going to work on some new stuff with this technique this weekend. 

Also this weekend please come back and visit as I have some Exciting news to share on Sat. 

and on Sun. I am going to share the details of a new Halloween Charm swap. 

I hope you will come back by!

Crazy Busy!!!! New Art...

It's a whirlwind around here right now. 

With the Create Art Retreat in only 2 weeks! And an Ice Resin Design team application deadline the 15th, as well as some magazine deadlines, I'm  so busy I don't even know where to start. 

I thought I would share some art I got done this weekend...

 A mixed media assemblage piece. I used Ice Resin over a collage of antique ledger papers, antique photo, and ephemera inside a found rusty metal ring used as a bezel. I also used an old water key as a bezel for the leaves of the flower. I collaged and painted the inside of an antique candy tin that I removed the cover from.

 My next piece was some collage and paint work with a heart design. I used a glass heart shaped bead as a bezel and filled it with Ice Resin. The background of the heart was some antique German text that is so pretty. I love how you can see some of the blue color through the text in the heart when the light shines down. I really love that about Ice Resin.

And I got the chains and beading done on some of my soldered pendants.

I was also working on some displays for my vendor booth at Create. My friend Lydia came over and helped me bag little bits and pieces and art parts for mixed media. I was working on clipping them to the display to see how I wanted to do it.  Thanks Lydia for all your help! Hugs!

 Lydia and I got lots of collage packs tied up for class kits and for the vendor fair...

 I even went through my button stash and made up some button cards...

It's a lot of work but so worth it. Can't wait to see everyone at Create!

I hope you are all having a great week!

Merrily She Goes...

This is Merrily. She's a sweet and happy little thing. She's all dressed up in her finery and bling and she is all about vintage charm.

 Antique glass pearl beads, antique crystals, antique rosary beads and lots and lots of vintage rhinestones all make Merrily very merry indeed. She has wire wrapping, soldering, ice resin and antique book pages, and a hand molded and hand painted face.

$86 plus $5 priority mail shipping

Merrily would love to have a home with you, email me if you are interested in her and I will send you a purchase link.

Patina Garden - New Artwork

 I've finally gotten something new finished. I had so much fun with this one. Perhaps inspired by spring and my love of all things rusty and patina blue/green. 

 I loved the little buttons the moment I saw them with their metal centers that were all covered in patina. Natural beauty right there. I picked them up at The Rusty Chair in Rogers AR and Julie (the owner) said that another lady had been looking through the buttons and was somewhat grossed out by the patina on those beauties, I know, there's no accounting for taste, lol. But at least they were there for me!

Julie also gathered 2 of those large rusty flower shaped thing-a-ma-jigs, she and I knew at first glance that they were for me! I mean how cool and unique!

The rest of the metal bits and pieces and nails are things I found with my metal detector. I LOVE that thing! So many artsy treasures just waiting to be found underground.

Have a great week everyone! Hugs!

A Handful of Pretty...Art

 A very small piece of art. Working on making things to put in my vendor booth at Create Mixed Media Art Retreat in Chicago in August.

A handful of pretty.

Practical yet pretty Art...

 I finally got some studio time yesterday. It's seems like it's been forever. But life has an aweful way of doing that to an artist. You look up from your day to day and it's been weeks since you got to make anything.  I think the title on this piece is appropriate since I do feel free as the wind when I'm creating. Nothing matters, I'm able to just be and do as whim strikes.

After I made this piece of art I looked over at that really old doorknob, so perfect with it's natural rust and patina, the exact color in my piece and I decided to make a bit of practical art. So this will be a great hanger for a purse or some scarves. I would say coat but then you wouldn't be able to see that wonderful knob! No since covering up perfection, lol.

 I found an old dress at a flea market that had yards of that amazing Swarovski crystal rhinestone trim. It's some amazing stuff, not like the cheap glass and metal trim you find now days, it's just gorgeous and sparkles like you wouldn't believe.

 I found an entire spool (well half a spool) of antique sequin trim at a yard sale last summer, silver and tarnished with age (like an old mirror). Completely fabulous stuff. There is a bit of it all around the edge.

 The caption is out of an old book.

The knob I found in an ancient barn that was full of junk, lots of it burried into the ground and had to be dug out. This is one of those pieces that you can't recreate. Mother nature did a fabulous job on it, no?

I've got another little piece to show you tomorrow so come back by and visit me.

Hugs!

Soldered Necklace, Some Blingy Finds, & My New Favorite Place on Earth!!

SOLD
"One Heart" Soldered Necklace $35

The Two Hearts necklace is off to it's new owner today!...

And I wanted to show you some of the super fun blingy things I found during lunch yesterday...

 I found this super old, completely wonderful cast iron knob that I put on my Victrola cabinet...

 I also found some great old keys, a couple of old rhinestone necklaces, and my favorite tons of wonderful little metal rhinestone buttons! The buttons the knob and that little metal claw foot were found at my new favorite place on earth "The Rusty Chair" in downtown Rogers AR. That place has everything I love and I think I will probably be spending a lot of lunches browsing that wonderful shop! Can't wait to go back.

 I also wanted to share this old check book. I love the fact that it's from my hometown. Whomever this belonged to had a lot of dough for back then. $2000 was a lot of money in the 40's.

Hope you guys are having a great week and looking forward to a great weekend! Hugs!

Thespa