Wine Glass Charms

When I made wine glass charms for my sister-in-law, I totally forgot to take pictures before dropping them off at her house.  That's why I'm posting these pictures 2 months later.  I used mostly odd beads I can't really use with other beads for jewelry.  These beads are perfect for wine charms since their unique appearances are easier to remember than 'just pretty' beads.  I also used stone and glass beads I purchased long time ago and had no other use for.  I think I missed a few but the charms with my handmade beads were all photographed. 

The charms are now displayed on a wire tree along with other wine accessories.  She got this tree (with round ornaments to hang) from her friend for Christmas but she liked it so much that she decided to hang wine glass charms year-round.  What a great idea! 

What did I get in return?  Free room and board (including daily litter scooping!) for my kitties in her guest room while we were on vacation.  Guess who got the better end of this deal?

Earring Rack and Earrings

The necklace stand is still intact and helping me stay organized.  My earrings were next things on my "things to organize" list.  I found a simple photo frame with a slot for two sheets of glass in the middle at TJMaxx.  The generous depth of this frame allowed me to run three lines on one side and two sets on the other side to accommodate earrings with various lengths.

After attaching eyelets, I realized that I didn't have suitable wire for this project.  I could have ran to the hardware store nearby...but sometimes it's fun to experiment and try to use what I have at home.

After trying everything in my toolbox and supply box, I decided to go with hemp string and polymer clay beads I made about the time I bought the hemp string years ago.  The Gorilla glue was used to keep strings and beads in place.
 

 This baby blue-red pair was the first pair of earrings I ever made with my own glass beads.

 The multi-colored cube beads came from a craft supply store. 

These polymer clay beads were coated with away too much shiny coating.  I learned that I prefer polymer clay's natural look.

I've had these beads (top and bottom) for a long time.  Right after purchasing these beads, I found out that some people make their own beads(!!!) and jumped right into the wonderful world of lampwork beads. 

Necklace Display Stand

I was storing my necklaces in a drawer but it was getting difficult to keep them organized.  The best way to organize necklaces or anything with a string is to hang them on a display stand or a wall unit with hooks.  When I need something is usually the right time to make something.  I drove over to an antique mall in town and started looking for what ever I can use as a base for a stand or a wall decor to add some hooks on.  The reason I didn't go to my usual destination when I have a project---DIY stores---is that I wanted to create something rustic.  Materials from hardware stores would look too new and shiny.  Besides, it's more fun to dig up old stuff at an antique mall.  I never know what I can find.

After walking through entire building, I had to decide between a pair of wooden squares with paint chipping off and an old wooden tool I had no idea what it was used for (I assume it was used to press or pound something).  I couldn't decide right away and I ended up getting both. 

The mystery tool seemed like a better match for decorative handmade nails from Mexico I picked up from an import store.  Sora wanted to show off his pole dance moves but I was ready to hang my necklaces (Sorry, Sora!)

Yay! No more tangling strands!  The next thing on my list is an earring rack/organizer. I'll get to it when I have an idea for it.

Update 1/30/11
I was just told that this is a mallet used for woodcarving.  I can sleep better tonight.

Christmas Decorations

I'm not Christian but a friend of mine thought that I should have a Christmas tree.  This is the 'tree' she gave me several years ago:

 I love this 'tree' and I display it every year.  The 'tree' is a huge pine cone---the biggest pine cone I've seen.

I added Christmas tree ornaments to the 'tree'. 

Although it is not my holiday, I enjoy spending time with family and friends around Christmas.

Holiday Decorations

Generally, I'm not into decorating for the holidays.  When I was organizing garage and found several bags of pine cones, I knew I had to make something out of them.  Making a wreath first popped in my head but I didn't have all the materials I needed.  Then, planters and dishes caught my eyes.  I grabbed my cheapo glue gun and all the glue sticks I got and start assembling the pine cones.

This is my pine cone 'tree' with gold ribbon.  I had enough pine cones to make another one for the patio table as well.  I only used the materials I had at home: lots of pine cones, pot & dish, glue gun and about 10 glue sticks, and gold ribbons.  First, I wanted to use wire to tie pine cones together, but the old pine cones were too fragile to wrap wire around.  I'm hoping glue is strong enough to last through the holidays.