Crushing on Craqueleur

I am totally crushing on Annie Sloan's Craqueleur!!  I am working on a dresser painted in AS Emperor's Silk and using the Craqueleur on the drawers, which are done in AS Pure.  I fell in love with Stiltskin Studios Red Velvet dresser and am kind of spinning off of that.  I can't wait to get it all done with lots of Annie's dark wax over the Emperor's Silk and touches of gold gilding wax!

This crackle is WAY better than the junk that you buy in the craft stores and so easy to use!  

Stay tuned for the dresser completed!

Sacred Heart of Mary Necklace

This is one of my favorite pieces that I have ever made!  It turned out so beautifully!  It's now available in my Etsy shop!

More Religious Necklaces

I finally got a little bit of time to do some serious work on my jewelry.  These are now available in my Etsy shop!

 

Ready for Resin

I made a bunch of bezels this weekend and now I just have to find time to do a resin pour.  Everybody else has today off for MLK Day, but I am going back to work!!  

Working on Soldering Skills

I have been battling a flu bug, but it hasn't stopped me from soldering.  I hand cut and soldered this bezel and added the brass stampings and a found brass piece to frame it all in.

I am going to add my favorite Madonna and Child image and call it "A Pummeled Heart".  I also have been experimenting with soldering brass stampings and bezel cups.  It has been very difficult.  As soon as the solder gets hot, the pieces want to move all over the place.  I am wondering if there are some sort of clamps I can use to keep them in place.

Religious Necklaces

New items in my Etsy shop!  I finally had some time to sit down and wire wrap some beads!!

Making Things More Difficult Than They Have To Be?

Sometimes I laugh at myself because I make things more difficult than they have to be.  For instance, I am working on this pendant...

My pic isn't very good and she is a work in progress.  Instead of taking the easy way out, buying a setting for less than a dollar, I scour antique stores and thrift shops and try to find items I can use from vintage costume jewelry.  I also hunt for vintage rhinestones, charms, chains etc.  This piece had a cabochon in it.  I pulled out the cab, sanded off the old gold finish (yuck) from the pendant, and blackened the base metal.  I looked through my stash of rhinestones and found the perfect size to go around the outside to frame my beautiful Saint Marie.  I laugh and question myself, why do I go to all of this trouble???  Does anyone else do this?  Or is it just me?