Lost but not forgotten

Where did the time go?

I swear it was only yesterday that it was January and I was returning to work from maternity leave. Now it's almost the end of June?! The weeks go by so quickly. I've been working on so many projects but can never seem to find the time to write it all down for the blog.

I've moved work locations and am closer to home now. I'm also cake decorating full time! I love it. It gave me set hours every week and allowed me to have a more predictable schedule at home with the baby. You can see some of my cakes (and other craft projects) on my Instagram page or search for my hashtag #toadilyhandmadebyjessica .

I participated in my first boutique this past month selling my jewelry and hair bows. I made a couple of presales and not a lot of sales at the boutique but it was nice to get out of the house and show my product off in person. You can see a few of my items in my Etsy store here.

I hope to make more time for my blog and keep posting fun crafts you can complete at home!

Simple DIY storage solution

Today will be a short post. I just wanted to share a simple DIY storage solution. It is great for those in small spaces! When my husband and I moved into our one apartment after living in a two bedroom house with a garage, space was limited. I had collected so many Christmas village houses that we did not have the space to store them.Our living room is fairly wide and long. I stared at the wall for months before finally coming up with this simple solution:

I found floor to ceiling curtains that I liked and bought screw in hooks to hang the curtain. As you can see in the photo I had to cut off the length because of the air vent. It's about 2 feet deep and 12 feet long. It not only adds hidden storage but is a nice accent wall too!

Remember to check me out on Facebook and Instagram!

If you try this set up share your photo with me!

Metallic Snowflake Jewelry Set

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are solely the those of the author.  The author is not affiliated, endorsed or compensated by any entities referenced in this article.  .

I fell in love with Craft Fantastic products in 2015. I took a class at my second Scrapbook Expo in Santa Clara, CA and again at the 2016 Scrapbook Expo in Pleasanton, CA. Craft Fantastic always offers a new product at each class, and the instructors can offer many suggestions to use the different materials in different ways to make your own unique pieces. You can buy similar kits here:  Craft Fantastic Deluxe Kit.  The kits make multiple bracelets, necklaces, earrings and much more. The kit includes everything you'll need (minus tools like scissors and pliers).

Today I'll show you how to make a jewelry set using Craft Fantastic's products.

• Scrapbook paper of choice
• Twist Bracelet from Craft Fantastic
• Ring from Craft Fantastic
• Small Glass round for ring from Craft Fantastic
• Medallion Tray for necklace from Craft Fantiastic 
• Medium Round Glass for medallion tray from Craft Fantastic
• Rolo chain 24"from Craft Fantastic
• Adhesive from Craft Fantastic
• Jewelers dots from Craft Fantastic
• Scissors
• Cue tip
• Baby wipes

1.  Find an image to use for each setting. I chose the shiny metallic scrapbook paper pictured below.  When using scrapbook paper I use the glass piece to figure out if the image will look good under the glass.  Move the glass piece around until you find an image that fits just inside of it.  You'll see that I found snowflakes to fit each glass piece on the scrapbook paper.

See that shine on the snowflake?! Love it!

2. Once you've selected your images, cut them out.  No need for perfection, just make sure the cutouts are slightly larger than your glass pieces.

3. Prepare your work surface; I prefer a plastic craft mat, but just make sure the surface is something glue won't easily stick to.

4. Apply adhesive to one glass piece by pouring a small amount of adhesive onto the surface.  Holding the bottle just above the middle of the flat side of the glass surface, only apply enough for the adhesive to spread near the edge of the glass piece.

5. Place the glass on the image cutout and press down for 10 seconds.  Then, using a cue tip, trace the edge of the glass to remove any excess glue. Let the piece sit for about 1 minute. Then flip the glass over so that the glass is face down.  Allow to dry completely, usually about 30 minutes. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 pieces.

6. While the adhesive is drying, assemble the twist bracelet using the jump rings provided in the kit. You'll need your pliers to assemble.

The assembled twist bracelet without the glass images.

7. Place jewelers dots on the trays.  I typically use one per tray.  For the larger tray, I recommend cutting each dot in half and spreading the two halves out slightly for better coverage, as pictured below.

Just had to show the detail on the back of the medallion tray! It's amazing!

8. Once the adhesive on the images has dried, trim any excess paper around the glass on each piece.  Then use a baby wipe or wet paper towel to clean any excess glue on the glass.  A Craft Fantastic instructor also recommended using a pair of scissors to lightly scrape off any tough to remove glue stuck on the glass.  

9. Remove the backing on the jewelers dots on each tray and place the glass pieces with dried images on firmly, pressing down for about 15 seconds. 

10. Feed the necklace chain through the bail on the medallion tray.  If you need to adjust the length of the necklace or bracelet chains, you can cut them down to shorter lengths using a pair of wire cutters.  You'll also need a tape measure, wire cutters and two pairs of pliers. Using both pairs of pliers, remove the jump ring by separating it at the opening.  Measure the length you need, then cut the wire with the wire cutters in the appropriate spot. Then just replace the jump ring and you're finished!

The jewelry kits from Craft Fantastic are great, and anyone from a beginner to an expert jewelry creator can use these kits.  Jewelry pieces open up so many possibilities for the crafter.  You can customize these jewelry sets with your own images, whether they're hand painted or printed off of the internet.  The possibilities are endless...

If you'd like to check out some of the other pieces that I have created using the Craft Fantastic jewelry products, visit my Facebook or Instragram page. Be sure to check out Craft Fantastic's blog for more ideas too!