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Re-purposed clip-on rings

Hey everybody!! This is Holly from Hollyrocks.etsy.com, and I’ve got a sweet little Valentine’s Day tutorial for you. Here you will find out how to breathe new life into old clip-on earrings by making them into fantastic rings.

Materials needed: an old pair of clip-on earrings, a blank ring base, glue
Time to complete: 5-10 minutes

1.) Find a pair of clip-on earrings. You may find these at thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, or in your grandma’s jewelry box (but please ask before taking them).  These are the ones I used:

2.) Remove the clip-on attachment from the back of the earring. This is easiest on earrings which have been attached using an adhesive, soldered clip-ons present more of a challenge. You may need to use a razor blade to make sure there is no residue left from the old adhesive.

3.) Place the earring flat-side-up on a solid work surface. Apply a pea-sized drop of industrial strength glue such as e-6000.

4.) Firmly press the flat portion of the ring base onto the drop of glue. Hold it in place until the glue is tacky enough to keep the ring base in place.

5.) Let cure for at least 24 hours.

6.) Place ring on finger, behold how sparkly and eco-friendly you are in your new ring!

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Valentine’s Gift Idea – Shrink Plastic Valentine Charm

 

 

Your shrink plastic Valentine can take many forms – you can turn it into a pin or pendant for her to wear, or a keychain for him to keep with his keys, or just a little charm for your sweetie to keep with them everywhere they go, to remind them of you!

Materials

Shrink plastic – ink-jet compatible or regular, depending on how you want to transfer your image. Found at Hobby Lobby.

Colored pencils or ink jet printer

Scissors

Toaster oven / conventional oven

Mod Podge or other clear finish

Optional – pin back, large jump ring, key chain, magnet disc or ribbon / necklace chain. Found at Hobby Lobby.

1. Design your charm -

Option 1 – draw your very own original artwork to use for your Charm. It doesn’t have to be gallery-perfect, your Valentine will appreciate that you drew it! You can be funny, cute, serious, irreverent – you choose! Sketch your design on paper until you are satisfied with it and ready to transfer it to the shrink plastic.

Option 2 – The Internet is a great way to browse for design ideas. And if you don’t feel like being brave and designing the charm yourself, there are plenty of free “clip art” designs you can find out there. However if you are going to download a graphic to use, be sure that it is free and clear of copyrights – don’t steal!

2. Transfer the design to the shrink plastic

Trace or re-sketch or print your design onto the blank plastic, following the directions that come with the type of shrink plastic that you bought. Remember you’ll need to draw or print it much bigger than you want the finished product to be – it will shrink to approximately 25% of the original size. YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE AT LEAST ONE TEST ITEM BEFORE SHRINKING THE REAL THING so print more than one, or scribble something on a separate piece of plastic using similar colors to use as your test item. Cut the item out and punch a hole with a single hole punch if you are making a key chain or necklace, etc.

3. Shrink your charm

Carefully follow the instructions provided with the shrink plastic to shrink your charm. TEST OUT THE PROCESS FIRST before putting your one-of-a-kind charm in the oven, particularly if you’ve never used shrink plastic before. Watching your item curl in on itself while shrinking can be pretty scary if you’re not prepared for it!

4. Finish your charm

Take a small paint brush and put 2 coats of clear finish on the charm. At this point, you can give as-is a little keepsake your Valentine can carry around!) or add any of the following:

• Add a magnet on the back and you’ve got a refrigerator magnet
• If you punched a hole in it, add a jump ring and a short piece of ball chain and you’ve got a key chain charm – use a longer piece of chain or ribbon and you’ve got a necklace
• Put a pin back on the reverse side and your Valentine can wear it as a brooch
• The possibilities are endless!

5. Give your Valentine their hand-made charm and they now have something unique, personal, and made with love, just for them. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Spicy Sensual Massage Oil Tutorial

Hey everyone! This is Brigid Vance from Grey Eye Designs, and I’m going to share with you my Valentine’s Day tutorial. This may seem like a departure for me since I normally do jewelry, but I’m getting ready to launch some bath and body products, so consider this a little preview. Oooo, exciting!

Anyway, there’s no more romantic way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sweetie than with some good ol’ fashioned intimacy, so why not make it even more personal with homemade massage oils? The recipe below is very basic and calls for ingredients you likely have around your house. If you have to purchase anything, you can certainly find another use for them. You can also customize your scent. The combination of orange and cinnamon in this aroma is spicy and sensual, but if your special someone has another preference – or if you have something else on hand – go ahead and experiment!

Spicy Sensual Massage Oil

Ingredients
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
30 drops orange essential oil
30 drops cinnamon oil
Glass or plastic container with secured lid
Funnel
Ribbon and tag or other decoration

Directions
Use a funnel to pour olive oil into the container. Leave a little bit of air at the top. Add the essential oils. Place and secure the lid. Shake the bottle to mix everything together. Clean up any spills on the outside of the bottle with a little bit of dish soap, if necessary, then let dry. Decorate bottle as desired. Give to your sweetie with a voucher for a free massage from you!

To use
Measure out 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil into a microwave-safe container. Microwave on high for 15-30 seconds before using. Enjoy!

Valentine’s Gift – Fabric Cuff

Kim Brown of the Tulsa World asked the Tulsa Craft Mafia to share some of our favorite crafts for Valentine’s Day.

I love getting unique accessories for Valentine’s day, so my craft is a fabric wrist cuff. There are infinite ways to customize the bracelet/cuff using favorite fabric, thread/floss, beads, etc.

Have some Valentine’s Day fun!

~ Tara Mason http://mylittlegnomies.etsy.com

Invitation + Thank You Card Giveaway!!

FREE FREE FREE!

Check it out! I have a giveaway on my blog that everyone should enter. The winner gets to mix-and-match between 6 different invitation and thank you card designs, for a total of THIRTY cards and envelopes. Wow!

http://thegreenerme.blogspot.com

Spontaneous Sale

Everything at weatherandnoise.etsy.com is 50% for the rest of the day. Just complete your purchase and wait for a revised invoice before sending payment.

thanks.

How To Make a Press Kit

Hello all! Renee here.

I am apart of the EtsyGreetings team, a group of Etsy vendors who get together via Google Groups to share ideas, thoughts, support, etc. We have a blog and I wrote a tutorial on creating a press kit. Sound interesting? Check out th EtsyGreetings Blog to view it!

I’d love to hear what everyone thinks, so feel free to comment! Thank you

Swap O Rama Rama

is coming to Tulsa.

Mark your calendars -  March 21.

More to come.