"Create" Collage Jewelry line

So I've been working on my line of jewelry called "Collage Jewelry". I use all kinds of non-traditional materials along with vintage pieces of broken jewelry that I incorporate into these fun and creative ways to scream "I LOVE ART"! This necklace is available in my Etsy shop "Kelley Smith Originals and Fabulousities". To see more scrapbook pages of other jewelry pieces, go to my art blog: "Kelley Smith Art". (brag-brag-brag and shameless self promotion....someone has to do it, so it is up to me) Hope you are having a fabulous day!

"Artist" Scrabble Tile Necklace/Bracelet

I am just LOVING these very limited editions of my Scrabble Tile Necklaces (that also can be worn as a Bracelets)! I finally found some more old Scrabble tile game pieces and was able to make a few really artsy jewelry with them. I had to sacrifice a whole lot of other word options to be able to make the art termed jewelry... but it was worth it! I have an "Artist" and "Create" necklace/bracelet available at the AZ Art Alliance Gallery in Scottsdale, and one in my Etsy shop. Anyway, I always feel like I am bragging when I post stuff that I am selling on my Glamma Fabulous blog, but I am just so excited about these new pieces that I have been working on. Fun!

AZ Art Alliance Reception

Please join me tomorrow at art reception at The Arizona Art Alliance Gallery, Sat. December 3rd, from 6 to 9pm (9011 E. Indian Bend, Scottsdale, AZ 85250). Meet famous former AZ Suns Basketball player Dick Van Arsdale, He is our guest artist and he will be there signing and selling original art and prints. I also have oil and pastel paintings, along with signed reproductions and my artsy fartsy line of "Collage Jewelry" in the gift shop. The event is free and open to the public. The Gourmet Girls are catering, so that is even more of a reason to come. Hope to see you there!

Wrapping 2010 up by posting a last photo of our Christmas Decorations before I take them down. I spent most of my time in the kitchen. (working on my art or craft projects while my family cooks. Life can't get any better than that!)

I made a lot of jewelry this Christmas. This is a bracelet I made for myself out of paper tags. It is jingley and light. I used my family Christmas card as the theme.

And presents! Devan got me this fabulous ring and some other goodies. I love, love, love that ring! And Hilari gave me these fabulous shoes. Now, I need an outfit to wear them with, or loose some of this Christmas goodies weight and wear them with a vintage black dress that I found in a downtown Glendale second hand shop.
I must also brag about the gift that Mr. Fabulous got me. It started out with a fur leopard casing that I thought was a shopping bag. I soon found out that it fit right inside a bicycle basket!
Then I opened this awesome drink holder...

that fits perfectly onto this fabulous bike!

And when I need to pass somebody with lightning speed, all I need to do is ring this fabulous bell!

To top it all off, Brooke and Kelli bought me a sewing form in my size that I have been wanting for a long time AND Chelsea gave me an "Official Glamma Fabulous" pendant that she ordered from a real pageant company. I just might wear it while teaching a class, but sometimes I just put in on and walk with "cup cake" hands!!! ha-ha (that's pageant talk for the way a toddler is supposed to walk with her fancy pageant dress on.)

I thought you might like to see a close up of the sash.

Now on to the new year!

My Great Grandmother Erwin's Sewing Mashine.

I am the lucky holder of both of my Great Grandmothers sewing machines. My G.Grandma Erwin's is the nightstand on my husbands side of the bed. When you open the cabinet doors, there are two drawers. One of the drawers houses the buttons that my G.Grandmother saved through the years. I loved to look at them every once in a while. So when we were making the Valentines button bracelets, I thought what better way to look at them more often as a bracelet and ring.

Below is the fab. bracelet. I used one and a half inch wide black elastic, and sewed each button in place. It looks great on my arm (but better on a fake hand for a photo...) I also made rings for each of my daughters and niece to enjoy. I just love thinking about my ancestors and am so glad that we still have some of their things.

I guess it makes me feel safe somehow...knowing a little about my roots and having a few of their "things" around.

Happy Valentines Day and Button Bracelets!

First of all, yeah, I have a new computer! AND Glampa Fabulous gave me Photoshop Elements 8 and Premier 8 for Valentines Day!!! So last Thursday night I had the Girls over for a Valentines party and Button Bracelet making. We all made a box for our valentines. And here are the fabulous valentines that I received. We had a contest for the "Most Sassy", "Most Creative", "Most Sentimental" and "Less is More" valentine box categories. The winner of the "Less is More"s valentine box was a used plastic grocery bag! I was so impressed at the time and effort that my friends went to putting together their boxes and valentines. Oh, we also had an award for the best "Valentine" which went to Lindsey. She crocheted everyone a heart sachet.

These are the buttons that we used.

And here is the bracelet and ring that I made. It was cool to see how each gal's bracelets looked different even though we all used basically the same type of buttons. Good Times...

Shrinky Dinks and Bottle Caps

When I was in high school, Shrinky Dinks were the new rage. Now Shrinky Dinks has a plastic you can print on. So I decided to make some charms.

But the charms turned out too big, so I covered the holes with a gem and made refrigerator magnets. Once again I thought I knew better than the directions. I should have believed the ratio of shrinkage. Oh well.

I did make some bottle cap charms for my Glamchildren Bracelet of the newest members that weren't yet dangling from my wrist.

I tested out my two inch flower punch on the Shrinky Dink plastic and after it was baked, it fit perfectly on top of Daisy's bottle cap back. (I am keeping this idea in mind when I have a beer bottle cap ((that I found of course)) and want to cover up the logo.) This time I thought I'd use Super Glue to attach the crystal. In one swift second the gem slid out of place. I couldn't pry that crystal off, so it is a little off center (which will bug me forever). So next time I will stick to the E6000!

I can't wait to add a few more darlings on!

A Bling Bracelet to Die For!!!

So I have been collecting broken vintage and new jewelry for a while and finally felt like I had enough to make this bracelet. I started off with an empty tape tube. I cut a piece out so that it was a standard bracelet size, taped it back together and then wrapped it with black ribbon. I glued the outside of the bracelet and ribbon so that there would not be a "give" when I glued the "bling" on.

I used E6000 glue. Some of the jewels were my Grandmother Bochman's and some were $1 store and thrift store finds. A few of the jewels are from the bridal section at Hobby Lobby when they were 1/2 off. This bracelet is HEAVY!!! But I LOVE it and can't wait to wear it.

Fabric Flower Pins

Last Friday my good friend Marilyn had a few of us over to lunch and do some hand sewing while we caught up. All the other gals are wiz's at quilting (in fact a few of them teach at The Quilted Apple in Phoenix) Anyway, I haven't caught on, so I made these fabric flower pins. I wore the black one to church on Sunday. I LOVE the neutral colored one with the pearls. I also just LOVE it when I finish a craft on the same day that I start one!

Busy Making Bees!

I just finished making these "Bee" bottle cap charm necklaces (see my other bottle cap jewelry here)and a bunch of paper Bees for my daughter's church girls camp. I was actually pretty proud of how well the paper Bees came out. I layered black and white ovals on top of each other to make the Bee shape and printed them out onto yellow card stock, so I was able to turn them out at record speed. Yea for my minimum computer skills!

Halloween Jewelry Accents

I just finished "bedazzling" these spiders to add to the GLAM factor for my Halloween costume. Fun!

Pop Bottle Charms as Keyrings...

So I'm finally getting around to post the key ring that I made for my mother-in-law (top) It has photos of her Mom and Dad: Walt and Phoebe Openshaw and a "twin"photo of my husband. It seems that when the elementary school took the yearly pictures, his was so "naughty" looking that they made him take another. The photographer thought he was twins and his mom got both set of pictures!

Here is a key chain for my mom of her grandchildren and one of my sister, brother and I.
And this one I made for my sister and the two photos show both sides of each charm. I used swarovski crystals and the photos do no Justice what so ever at how beautiful these really are. It was fun making them.
And here is a charm bracelet that I made of all my grandchildren. I love wearing it!

My Jewelry Making Attempts...

I thought I'd show you one of the necklaces that I made for each of my girls for Christmas. I just found the photos, so this is a late post, but better than none. I used scrapbooking embellishments and some random miniatures found here and there and attached eye hooks to make most of the charms.

Long ago, I had a small Stained Glass Company. It only lasted a few years. ( I did a lot of artsy stuff to help make ends meet when my children were young. I was also trying to find my niche and what I wanted to do with all that creative energy that seems to want to seep through my cracks if I don't express it some way or other) Anyway, I used those soldering skills to make the photo charms for the necklaces. Each girl got one of the six of us women, a photo of them as a child, a wedding photo of their Dad and I and a wedding photo of their own marriages.

I also made these little round charms out of two half spheres and put their own children's photos and names in those. It was fun, and the girls liked the necklaces. They can add on to them to make them even more personalized.

Thanks for letting me brag........