Jewelry Making New Year's Resolutions

The holidaze are still going strong around here, but I'm starting to think about my New Year's Resolutions. Most years, I try not to make them because I tend to break them by April. But, I'm going to make it nice and easy this year and you, dear readers, are going to hold me accountable. I'm going to take more classes!

I'd love to take a metals workshop from Beads, Baubles & Jewels' resident metalsmith Mark Nelson. Rio Grande is hosting a pre-Tucson version of Rio in Motion at their solar-powered facility in Albuquerque January 26-31st. I just checked their calendar and there are a few classes still open. Among them is a workshop on creating texture with a rolling mill, one of my favorite techniques from BB&J that I've never actually tried. (See photo of bracelet by Jack Berry.)

If you're resolving to take more classes this year, then I hope you'll join me at CREATE YOUR STYLE in TUCSON. The class offerings are downright delectable this year. I'm teaching two workshops and hope to squeeze in a class from at least one of my fellow SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassadors.

Modern Patina by Katie Hacker
This necklace and earring set uses my Katiedids™ Creative Components with a multitude of sparkly SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

The CREATE YOUR STYLE in TUCSON event is located in downtown Tucson at 525 North Bonita Avenue, Tucson AZ 85745 from Tuesday, February 1 – Friday, February 4, 2011. There are 40 workshops guided by industry experts, including my fellow Beadalon Design Team Members Fernando Dasilva and Leslie Rogalski.

Very Violet by Katie Hacker
This is a fun combination of stringing and wirework techniques using SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS with Katiedids Creative Components, Artistic Wire and Beadalon's Quick Links.

The CREATE YOUR STYLE IN TUCSON event is one of my favorites because it offers an impressive roster of creative classes using innovative techniques and the newest products. Plus, you can't beat the prices! There are also a number of inexpensive make-it-take-its free demonstrations throughout the show. If you're going to Tucson this year, don't miss it!

Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop Weeks 6 & 7

I was so proud this morning as I finished up my project for the last week of the Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop...until I realized that last week was the final week for the hop. So much for catching up on deadlines. Another one went whooshing by! Here are my projects anyway, a couple of festive ideas for last-minute gift giving, perfect for times when the presentation is part of the present:

This is a tag book with a removable pendant on the front. The book is full of little quotes about friendship, plus, your friend can take the pendant off of the book and wear it!

For the pendant, I used: Katiedids™ Creative Components double-circle pendant; SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS 4mm & 8mm beads; Beadalon silver 19-strand, head pin, interchangeable pendant bail.

For the book, I used: Sizzix Bigz XL Die - Album, Brackets by Brenda Pinnick; SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS 18mm large-hole bead; 18-gauge tinned copper Artistic Wire; sheer brown ribbon; brown inkpad; script rubber stamp; glue stick; quotes from BrainyQuote.com.

This is a card made from Brenda's album die (see above) with the necklace attached to the front. I used Eileen Hull's Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Treat Bag Toppers at the top. The treat bag topper die is great because it has pre-punched holes in it that allow you to thread the necklace chain onto it to hide the ends. Then, I stacked the die-cut shapes together with foam tape to provide room for the chain. I made the necklace using my Katiedids™ Creative Components with Apoxie resin putty and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS chatons.

I hope you've enjoyed these ideas for combining your paper crafting and jewelry making passions. The Triple Play Blog Hop is going to live on in a new blog: http://www.tripleplay.typepad.com/. Check it out!

Beads, Baubles & Jewels Pix

Here are a few pix from our recent Beads, Baubles & Jewels taping. The segments will start airing in Spring 2011 and our theme is "Assembling the Elements." These are just a few peeks:

Everybody starts the day in the makeup chair. Here's Molly Schaller getting TV-ready. Molly shared a chandelier earring project and an asymmetrical necklace with multiple pendants.

Leslie Rogalski, Laura Timmons, Debbi Simon, Brenda Schweder and I posed for this SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador power picture between segments on the set. Wait til you see the projects and inspiration from this group!

Candie Cooper shows us how to make one of her famous layered, vintage-style charm bracelets using recycled game pieces and new charms from TierraCast.

Cynthia Thornton from Green Girl Studios shared a necklace inspired by the projects in her book, Enchanted Adornments (Interweave Press 2009).

Here's how metalsmith Mark Nelson and I get through a taping day: lots of laughs and lots of caffeine!

And, here's one of the reasons I love regular guest Mary Hettmansperger. Check out that tray! Once we finished her segment, we both said "woo hoo!" and she dumped everything into a pile.

I'll post more pix and a Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop challenge soon. It's already one week post-taping and I'm still digging out!