Heather B Stamps

Build a Brad... Bracelet!!!!

Yesterday, I attended an amazing event... Alicia's Spring Fling!!!  Alicia is my upline's upline.  (those of you in direct sales will know what I'm talking about...)

Anyway, there were 9 demonstrators that did a 'demo' for everyone, and it was supposed to be a WOW.  (That's something demo's call a really cool project, that you wouldn't normally do at someone's workshop, it's more of a class type project, and is either some really cool technique, or a new way to use a product)  So, I'd seen these really cool bracelets on this blog and thought it might be cool to make some.  The thing is,  you have to make one for each of the other demonstrators who do a table, so I had to make a few.  Plus, Dawn Rapsas came all the way from New Jersey to talk to us, and so did Karen Gregorian, all the way from WASHINGTON!!!!  So, they were so inspiring, and wonderful (as I figured they would be), so I wanted to make sure they got one, too.  Let me tell you, if you ever have the opportunity to hear either of these ladies speak about business, GO!!!  They are amazing!!!

Anyway, I promised everyone that I'd post a tutorial on how to make these babies... Here goes:  I apologize for the crappy pictures.....

Gather your supplies:

Build a brads, rhinestone brads, designer series paper (DSP), 1/2 inch circle punch, crystal effects, pliers, jump rings (I got mine at Michael's), and magnetic clasps if you want...

Pull the 'legs' out straight on your brads, both the build a brads and the rhinhestone brads.  Sometimes you have to use the pliers to get them nice and straight.

Using your pliers, turn the legs back in towards the middle of the brad.  Don't close the end of the leg all the way down yet.  You should still be able to see the 'bend' in the leg where it was bent before, that's a good spot to put your pliers to start your bend.  Do this to all your brads.

Add the jump rings to the bent legs of the build a brads, and squish them shut so that the jump ring won't come out.  Sometimes you have to play around with it a bit to get the legs to sit nice and flat on the back of the brad.  (otherwise, it will scratch your arm when you wear it, and I don't know about you, but that would really bug me!!)

Then add your rhinestone brads in between the build a brads, squishing the legs carefully, so you don't scratch the back of the 'bling' part off.  (you could paint a bit of Crystal Effects on the back to protect it)

If you're going to use a magnetic clasp, open the jump ring to get the clasp on, and gently close it with pliers.  Then join the bracelet together, and VOILA!!!!!  You've made a really cool bracelet.... frame.

Put a drop (just a little drop, too.... don't get all carried away with it) of Crystal Effects on each of the fronts of the build a brads, and adhere your 1/2 inch circles of DSP.  Make sure you push them down really well to get the Crystal Effects to the edge of the paper.

Then put a little drop of Crystal Effects on the paper, and add the 'bubble' part of the build a brad, squishing it down really well, so the Crystal Effects gets all the way to the edge of the bubble.

TAAAHHHH DAAAHHHHHH!!!! NOW you're done!!  How does it look???  Lovely, I'll bet!!  Here's some more that I made:

Now, if you don't want to make one of your own, and would like to buy one that I've made, they're $10.  Email me at nursehb8@hotmail.com and we'll discuss colour options, ok???

So, that's it.  They're really not that hard to make.  Really.  Try one.  Or two.  Or 15 like I did!!!!!

Have a wonderful day, and I have some more great stuff to show you all, so please check back at least once a week!!  (I am really trying hard to update more often!!! really.)

Coasters, anyone????

It seems that almost everyone I know got married in the spring.  It's anniversary central around here.  A few of my friends are either in the midst of planning a wedding, or planning some sort of anniversary party.  Here are some favours that I did for my friend's parents last year.  Yes, I know I posted them back then, but sometimes you need a 'refresher',  old ideas sometimes need bringing up again!!

So, here's what I made.  They were a big hit, and it will also use up a bunch of those coasters you bought, thinking "I know I'll need at least 500 of those, I'll use them for everything.  I may even need more than 500.  But 500 is a good start.  And, if I don't buy 500, I'll see 500 things that I want to make with them, and I won't have them to do it with!!"  Only to discover that once you had them in your hot little hands, you didn't know what on earth you were going to make with the other 495 coasters, after you made that really cute coaster box to hold your pens on your desk.

It's 2 coasters, attached in the middle with clothespins, the wooden kind with the spring in the middle. 

Can you see into the middle there?  You adhere the 'closed' part of the clothespin to the 'top', and add 2 thick dimensionals to the part you pinch so there's a better angle.  Do that on both sides of the clothespin, and attach your coasters.  If it was for something not too fancy, you can stamp right on the coasters.  Here, I've covered the coasters with Ivory paper, and stamped in Gold ink, as it was a 50th anniversary.  Then I used my colour spritzer and added some dimension by spritzing with Artichoke ink.  Then I used the Giga Scallop punch (not SU, it's Marvy), and the Coluzzle oval for the verse on the front of the picture holder.  (that's what they used it for... a really nice picture of the couple, and then we decorated a picture frame to match for them to hang on their wall at home.  It was really nice)

So, here's a great wedding/anniversary/special day party favour.  There's many things you can do with it...  you could stamp the people from All in the Family for a family gathering, or special dinner.  You could stamp words on them.  You could use them to put either pictures or names in for place cards.  You can stand them on your mantle and have a row of pictures in them.  You can make it 'kitchen-y', and use it to hold recipes up while you cook.  Just a couple of ideas there for  you.

Anyway, hope this inspires you to use up some of those coasters you bought!!!!

Ever have one of those days/weeks/months.... LIVES?????

OK... suffice it to say, the last thing that I have had  time for this past week or so is stamping.  BUT, I refuse to buy cards.  (Plus, my hubby would have a fit if he saw me buy a card, as the whole intro to the stamping addiction was the excuse:  "But, honey, we'll NEVER have to buy another card, EVER.  I'll just make them all.  Think of the money we'll save!"  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA )  That being said, I still need thank you cards, and birthday cards for the parties that the kids are invited to, and then someone asked me for a couple of cards for this and that, and well, I HAD to make time to get into the stamping dungeon.  (I call it that because my room is in the basement, and it's sorta dark, and cool down here)  ANYWAY, I made it in there, and it was such a disaster, that I had to clean it up first.  If you know me at all, you know that is my least favourite activity on the planet.  Yes, I'd rather do almost anything that clean and organize.  If I had a million dollars, I'd hire someone to do it all for me, and I'd just sit there and stamp and make a HUGE mess, and then my magic fairy would come in and clean it all with one fell swoop of her magic wand, and I'd start again.  BUT, I don't have a million dollars, so no such luck for me.  So, I had to 'tidy' it up before I could start.  I admit to being a procrastinator.  I work best under pressure.  Yes, I know that I'll likely have an ulcer before I'm 50.  Yes, I know it's not particularly healthy.  I've been this way for most of my life.  I am trying to change, but it's hard.  I did it.  I tidied up.  Then I stamped.  and stamped.  and stamped.  And got very little accomplished.  Oh well.  Want to see what I made???  After putting up with all the rambling, you deserve a great WOOO HOOO of a project.  But I can't show it to you yet.  I'm participating in a swap, and it would ruin it for others if I showed it to you.  So you'll have to wait.  But it will be worth it, I promise.  Not only will you get to see what I made, but you'll get to see what 14 other talented stampers made, too.  It's called a WOW swap, and while I don't really think I'm WOW caliber, I decided to wing it anyway, and hope that everyone is understanding that it's my first one!!!

But, I can show you a couple of other things that I made a while ago......

I made this recipe card holder as a sample for an upcoming class.  I haven't set the date, but if you think this is cool, be on the lookout for it!!! 

Stamps:  From the Kitchen of, Voila.

Paper:  Afternoon Tea DSP (from the mini catalogue), Wasabi

Ink:  Black, Gray, Wasabi

Other:  mini lunch tin, Cricut (for the letters), blender pens.

OK... so, isn't it cute???  I LOVE IT.  And, I made it up by myself!!!  (Yes, I'm proud of myself!!!!!)  Here's the top of the tin:

So, cute, cute, cute????   I think so.  Inside, I included about 15 recipe cards stamped with the From the Kitchen of set, and I'm going to make some dividers for the tin, too.  Anyway, I like it. 

Want to come to the class and make one (or two) of your very own???  I'll keep you posted about when it is, ok???