Han Solo Drawers

 Hey Everyone,

I'm so excited to show you this chest of drawers that I painted for my Star Wars mad 10 year old.

It started off as  plain white with some funky hardware which I like and decided to keep as is.

 

Initially Gabe wasn't sure what he wanted and was trying to decide between Han Solo or Darth Vader. Of course good won in the end and he decided Han was by far the favourite. So we found this image on Pinterest and traced it back to Strix.org.uk. Which is a stencil generator, we wasted a good few hours creating others, it's very fun.

I used a projector connected to a laptop to project the image onto the drawers. It was very easy to do.

 Using a pencil I quickly and lightly traced around the edges. 

 I used black acrylic paint to fill the image in. This is an awful night time photo, and possibly I should have painted during the day, but I just couldn't stop. I was having too much fun,

The next day I gave Han a second coat of paint. Isn't he gorgeous?

 

 Once the paint was dry, I carefully waxed and buffed the entire chest of drawers.

 I am so impressed with how this project turned out. It was easier than I expected and so much more fun than I thought it would be. 

My son just loves it in his Star Wars themed room.

It is budget friendly too. It only cost the price of black paint sample pot .

And in a few years when my tween no longer wants a giant Han Solo on his chest of drawers, its easily sanded off and repainted.Take care 

xxx

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Bead Peeps Swap 'n Hop - Getting to know you.

Hey Everyone,

Some of you may know that I'm doing the Bead Peeps Swap n Hop again this year. So cool right?
This time round I have the lovely Linda from "From the Bead Board" as my partner. She is also the event organiser....talk about pressure!

 

So...lets get to know a little about me and my jewelry making.

  

1. Why or how did you get started making jewelry

My mom and I found a bead shop not far from where we lived, when I was about 12. I made a pair of earrings that day and my mom was so impressed with them that I snuck back during the holidays to make another pair for her birthday. 

I was hooked! But the bead shop didn't last long and it was a good many years later before I found another shop. I was in my early 20s when I started creating again and I was making and selling my jewelry to all my work mates. 

My first love is creating simple, wearable jewelry and sharing the tutorials with everyone.

 

2 What style(s) of jewelry do you like to make?

 I love simple clean pieces and I would say my style is casual and classic. 

I do like to try different styles though, it's always fun and rewarding to see what I can create. I love working with charms, especially ones with inspirational words.

My inspiration and passion is the beach and ocean - It is reflected in most of my creations from the colours to the "flow" of the piece. 

3. What materials do you prefer to use (and which ones do you avoid)? 

I'm open to working with any materials and I love to "upcycle" pieces. I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of working with fabric in pieces. I like seeing how other designers add fabric to their pieces but in my creations, it never quite works.
I also struggle a little with copper, I'm not sure why though.
 

 4. Which techniques do you prefer (and are there any that you don't like)?

I like to simply string beads if I'm making an item with just beads. However I love to make my own dome pendants. There's just something in creating an image and viewing it under glass. I prefer a simple chain to offset the pendant.
 I am a huge fan of memory wire and creating bracelets.
 

 5. What colors do you use most, and which do you run screaming from?

 Turquoise, turquoise, turquoise....
I also love jades, blues, aquas and white

I'll pretty much work with any colour but I do get a bit stumped with pinks though!

 

Some other random trivia: 

I'm originally from Durban, South Africa but have lived in Auckland New Zealand for 13 years.
I have 3 amazing kids.
I'm trained as a Microbiologist but am currently a stay at home mum. 
I'm deathly afraid of spiders!
I love to joke and laugh.
My son and I have the same wicked, slightly warped sense of humour. 
I have 5 tattoos.

I love the beach.
 I also paint - a lot. I makeover furniture and paint signs.

I help others as much as I can.

Each piece has a story to tell....listen 

Take care 

xxx

Chalkboard Hearts

Hi Everyone, 

Are you ready for Valentines day this year? 

No? Well today I have a quick Valentines gift you can whip up in an afternoon.

What you will need:

1. Wooden heart shapes ( I found mine in the kids section of our local craft store, Spotlight)

2. Wooden beads of various sizes (whatever you can find)

3. Chalkboard paint

4. Acrylic paint in your favourite colour/s

5. Rub on words or pictures (usually found in the Scrapbooking section of your craft store)

6. A coloured marker to edge the hearts (I used gold and silver)

7. Thread for hanging.

 

What to do:

1. Paint one side of each heart with chalkboard paint - you may need 2 coats.

2. Paint the other side of the heart a pretty colour.

3. Paint the wooden beads 

4. Prime the chalkboard with chalk then wipe off.

5. Apply a rub on word to the painted side. Or anything you'd like to embellish with actually.

6. Edge the heart with the marker pen

7. I made a little hole in the wooden heart using the sharp end of my nail scissors.

8. Thread the string through the heart, knot the string and thread the beads. knot again.

That was easy right?

 These are so cute hanging from a doorknob or as a tag on a back pack.

We gave a whole bunch of these as farewell gifts at Kindergarten and my little girl wrote her name on the chalkboard side for her teachers.

 

  

These were so fun to make that I got Sean to cut some larger hearts for my Christmas market, last year. Instead of using rub on's, I painted the words on instead.

For more Valentine's ideas, check out these easy, quick to make gifts...

Blingy Valentine Candles
Wooden Valentine Chimes
Threaded Valentine Tins
Heart Wall Art
Valentine's Charm Necklace 
Valentine's Bracelet

Have a wonderful Valentines day. Have fun and take care.

xxx

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