Angel gifts are complete!!!

Now that I have rummaged through all my jewelry supplies..I have finally finished with my Angel gifts. One of the items that the group had requested for people to donate was for books. Books are wonderful and make an excellent gift for any age. I wrote a saying some time back  "What makes a Book Great? A grouping of words...that allow our minds to travel" Reading for some of us is how we get to experience far away places..mystical places and places that only the written word can take us. However, what does every person need that is reading a book? They need something to mark their page when they need to put the book down for a bit. (unless you are like me and run into doorways because you just can't put it down) Yes...yes...you can turn the corner of the page down....or stick a piece of scrap paper in it. Books, especially good ones, deserve more respect than that...they deserve a bookmark that is worthy to be placed inside the pages to bring you back to where ever your journey was taking you. So far the last of my gifts....I made some whimsical bookmarks.

I think that the book reader that gets one will be very happy and so will I, especially knowing that (fingers crossed) there will be no more pages bent down at the corners. I use to make these and forgot just how much fun it is to twist and curl the wire. I do believe that once I can rebuild my supplies then I'm going to make some more. Heck...I might even make one for myself ^_^ Would you like to make one? Very easy peasy..honest!! I think just giving you some tips and hints here is all you will need. If you do have any questions feel free to leave a comment or email me.

*WIRE* (of course ^_^..any size or type that you like to work with..just keep in mind you want something that will hold it's shape. I used 18 gauge. Using recycled copper wire makes a great bookmark..you will need to hammer it flat once you get your design complete due that most copper is fairly thick but this gives it a really nice look. Cutting a 12-18 length works for me...keep in mind if you want the bookmark hanging out the top and bottom or just the top. I cut a 12 inch length piece.

*Needle nose Pliers* (if you don't want any tool marks on the wire then take some masking tape and wrap it around the ends of the pliers. To make your spirals all you do is wrap your wire around the end of the pliers...as many wraps as can fit...then remove from pliers and then simply flatten them and reshape if needed. To make the zigzags I simply took the wire and laid it in the pliers and bent it over without looping. Make sure you put a small loop at the bottom of your bookmark..wire can stick!! If you are making one that will hang out the bottom of the book you can add a bead to the end or perhaps a tassel)

*Beads, Jump rings and Head Pins* (again..this is what ever you want to use. For some of my bookmarks I used loose beads..just make sure they will slide over your wire...and keep in mind that you want to slide them before you make a twist or zigzag *hard to slide a bead over a zigzag ya know*. I also used the head pins to make some cascading beaded findings and then put them on jump rings and attached to the wire)

Now go make some bookmarks. They make great gifts...stocking stuffers....even a cool gift tag to go on top of that wrapped book you got for someone. Think they will figure out what the actually gift is. ^_^ I would love to see yours if you make some...come back and share.


Until next time.....Hugs, Regi

Something Simple from the heart

Those that have been reading my posts already know about the gifts I have been working on to donate to the Angel program here in Baldwin County. You know....it doesn't take much to put a smile on someone's face and I'm hoping that these help do just that.....plus more. I hope the ones receiving them will get a smile placed on their hearts because they will know that someone really cares. I'm hoping to get a few more things made before they are picked up tomorrow but here is what I have so far....

This time of year is a time of "giving" and I'm so blessed that I have a talent that I can use to hopefully bring a big smile!!!!



Until next time......HUGS, Regi

Old Belt to New Wrist Cuff

I spent Monday morning cleaning up the Chazman's room and the rest of the house so that I could put up our Christmas decorations. I had to rearrange some things so that I could put the tree in the family room corner and put my sofa table my Dad made in the dining room for my Christmas village to sit on. You should have seen all the dust bunnies making a run for it when I moved other furniture to accomplish this. "Shaking Head"...I'm so ashamed.   Once I got things moved around and all the decorations up, I sat down to admire all my hard work and suddenly realized that I had to clean house AGAIN. Some days I come to the understanding of why some folks call me ditzy....this was soooo one of them.

In opening some of my boxes that the decorations were in I discovered one of my old belts. And before you ask....I have no clue as to why one of my old belts was in a Christmas decorations box. (another one of those ditzy days I imagine) I think my muse put it there....for as soon as I saw it the light bulb went off. I have been making jewelry for the Angel program. (Click here to read about this amazing program) and immediately I saw some really cool leather bracelet cuffs. Something unique to give a teenage boy or girl. Since I was going to be making some I thought perhaps that I would do a small tut on how to make your own.

Of course you start with an old belt. Mine was in good shape which really makes me wonder why it was in that box. You can use an old belt too....worn leather has a really great look to it. Here are a few other supplies you are going to need.

An old belt...of course

Pair of scissors

Thin Leather cording

Medallion or bead

Cuff Link

Hole punch (nail and hammer if you don't have punch)

needle or something sharp to mark leather

First thing you are going to do is take the belt starting at the end where the holes already are. (Measure this out to about 9 inches and put aside....to make another bracelet later) Now take belt and measure off the length you want your cuff to be...keep in mind that the cuff needs to overlap on the ends. Everyone might need a different size but for reference here I measured mine out to 9 1/2 inches. Take scissors and cut the length. I like to round my corners. Next take one end and mark about 1/2 inch in. This is where the cuff link will go. Take your hole/leather punch or nail and hammer and make your hole.

Next, wrap the cuff around and mark where the hole will go on the other end. You can measure the same as before but I like to mark the hole so I know it will be in exactly the same spot. Get that nail and hammer and make that hole.

Now simply take the cuff link (ones that are smooth work best...you don't want one that has a raised surface)  and push it through one of the holes with the cuff link face on the inside of the cuff bracelet. You just created the way to lock the bracelet on your wrist. You take the other end and push it onto the link sticking up and then simple push the catch down. Wasn't that simple!!! Now open your cuff back up and lay it flat.

Take the medallion or button or bead that you chose for your cuff. Lay it on the back (inside) of the cuff in the middle. Place your marks...you will need four. Two on the inside of the medallion and two on the outside. Punch holes where you have marked.

Next, take the thin leather cording and cut a piece about 12 inches long. You are a better judge since you may be using something bigger or smaller than my medallion. Clip one end at an angle, this makes it much easier to push through the hole.(I clip after each hole so my cording doesn't fray) Bring it through on the inside first..leaving a long tail in the back...coming up in the front of the cuff...lay your medallion down and then pull the cording through the next hole on the inside of the medallion and coming out in the back. Then do the other hole and then ending through the last hole with your cording having another tail at the inside of the leather cuff. Take the cording and tie it securely.

Tahhhh Dahhhh....you just made a leather bracelet cuff. I think that any teenager or male for that matter would love getting one as a gift....don't you? I hope that this tut will help you make some to give as gifts or simply to make some for yourself. Let your muse or as some would say, your imagination guide you.

Here is what I did with that first piece we cut. Follow the same directions to attach the cuff link. Since I already had holes in this piece I simply took one of my bone beads, took some cording, looped it on one end and ran it up through the bead hole...pull loop end through the middle hole on the cuff and make sure it will fit snug over the bead....then knot the cording on top of the bead.

Here is another idea too. This belt had such a cool buckle that I thought it would make an awesome cuff all by itself. Simply punch a few holes to make it look like a tiny belt.

Until next time.....Hugs, Regi