Monday, November 25, 2013
Crafters & Artisans at Hal-Con 2013
One of my favourite things in the world to do is check out the vendors at Hal-Con and see what creative projects they have been working on. I love to go as a shopper, a reviewer for Hexed and
as a crafter gathering tools, treats and and inspiration.
FELTastic Fashion
I was absolutely charmed by FELTastic Fashion. The artisan was so sweet and kind and showed me all sorts of work that she has done via custom order for so many people.
She sold kits, showed me how she does felting and her work is downright adorable.
Amy La Loon Pottery
Amy La Loon Pottery stole my pirate heart! So geeky, creepy and perfectly my style.
Where else can you get mini pirate flagons? Cthulhu or Tardis mugs?
I brought home a skull Santa Christmas tree decoration and am going to turn it into a pendant thanks to Amy!
Giant Robot Comics
Shopping at Giant Robot Comics is always fun but this year? Extra fun for me.
They had silicon molds! I realized lately I don't have enough geek jewellery so I got a fantastic deal on this Batman emblem mold for only $10.
The Monkey Rodeo
The Monkey Rodeo had amazing spooky movie props made by Fox Henderson who was so much fun to speak with. A guy who makes zombie chickens just has to be a great conversationalist.
Intriguing jars of who knows what alongside shrunken heads? Everywhere you looked there was something weird and bizarre.
I came back and picked up a bitten brain keychain that I am going to turn into a pendant. Fun!
The Quarrelsome Yeti
I found the coolest t-shirt at The Quarrelsome Yeti by Geordan Moore. This was my big Hal-Con purchase!
Yes, a Sad Broccoli t-shirt. I could not resist! He is such a cutie and will be perfect for my foodie videos. I was relieved when Geordan told me he actually loves broccoli.
Eternal Elf Creations
Every year I look forward to visiting Eternal Elf Creations booth and seeing what beautifully gothic work she has put together. This year I was bewitched by these bluish green earrings and had to bring them home.
Postcard Look
I hope you enjoyed this little postcard look at Hal-Con 2013. Another amazing year with so many talented artisans. I left with projects I wanted to pursue and tools I could use to create them. Not to mention getting to talk with so many fantastic people who I just loved hanging out with. Hal-Con, I will miss you.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Creating a Simple Framed Cameo Pendant
In Episode 20 of stART you saw me showing off my skeleton cameo pendant but I want to show you how easy it was to make. You can use anything you want as a frame and a subject BTW but here is where I got the skeleton cameos and the cabochons/frames.
The hard part was really figuring out the combo I wanted. I like having pendants that really standout for my videos so I went with a hot pink frame and a white cameo on a black background. Lots of contrast but I love black and pink together. Edgy and feminine, like me!
THE adhesive to use, always, is E6000. Because it is the toughest adhesive around. There is nothing worst than a piece falling apart. Just be careful, try not to breathe in the fumes and use gloves.
I hate it when glue oozes out of something I am putting together so I just added a small dollop of glue to the middle of the frame and then smeared it a bit with a wooden toothpick but I left the edge clean.
I lightly coated the back of the cameo with glue using a wooden toothpick. I pressed the cameo onto the frame to set.
Once set I got a bail (the loopy thingy that turns the frame into a hanging pendant) and glued it on the back.
My bail is a little crooked and the cameo is not perfectly centred but who cares? I made then pendant for probably less then $2.50 and I love it! I can not wait to turn it into a necklace. Cheap but not crappy jewellery is so much fun to make. No pressure, just crafty fun.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Episode 21: We're Legal Now (Everywhere) Video Version
- Hello stART listeners! The Ridler Sisters are back together again sharing our creative projects, inspiration and ideas for what we are working on, and projects for the future.
- As always, there is some show and tell to the shows so make sure to watch our video version which will be up here as well as on YouTube. We are keeping to creative updates and looking to what we are working on in the future, which keeps the podcast to about 30minutes which has really been working for us - we hope you enjoy it that way too. Our Musings portion has taking a bit of a break, but we may still share them as individual videos here and on our http://www.youtube.com/user/RidlerSisters page.
- We would love to hear your thoughts on what *you* are creating and musing about these days!
- Have a question or a comment? Email us.
- Find Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios.ca and her podcast Creative Living with Jamie and her blog Jamie's Sketchbook.
- Find Suzie at Suzie the Foodie, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and on YouTube
- Find Shannon at Planet Shannon, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and YouTube channel.
- Subscribe to the stART Sisters Podcast Here.
- We'll be back in 3 weeks for our next episode.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Episode 21: We're Legal Now (Everywhere) Podcast Version
- Hello stART listeners! The Ridler Sisters are back together again sharing our creative projects, inspiration and ideas for what we are working on, and projects for the future.
- As always, there is some show and tell to the shows so make sure to watch our video version which will be up here as well as on YouTube. We are keeping to creative updates and looking to what we are working on in the future, which keeps the podcast to about 30minutes which has really been working for us - we hope you enjoy it that way too. Our Musings portion has taking a bit of a break, but we may still share them as individual videos here and on our http://www.youtube.com/user/RidlerSisters page.
- We would love to hear your thoughts on what *you* are creating and musing about these days!
- Have a question or a comment? Email us.
- Find Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios.ca and her podcast Creative Living with Jamie and her blog Jamie's Sketchbook.
- Find Suzie at Suzie the Foodie, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and on YouTube
- Find Shannon at Planet Shannon, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and YouTube channel.
- Subscribe to the stART Sisters Podcast Here.
- We'll be back in 3 weeks for our next episode.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
What I started after stART!
Sometimes the magic happens after the show! In our post eps-20 conversation, the idea of a diorama was re-sparked in me! So, of course, I started right away! I knew I wanted to use one of these beautiful porcelain tiles we have leftover from our kitchen. I worried it would scratch the table, so I cut a placemat down to size.
So there it was. I had my foundation.
When I was out and about this mug caught my eye. I didn't know why but knowing that I was building this diorama I thought, why not pick it up? Only in the moment that I put it on the foundation did I think, "We had five kids in our family." It's amazing how significance is revealed in the process. I remembered that I can trust that.
It wasn't long before the 5 had some company.
I love this process. I think the meanings will be discovered and will shift and grow as the diorama takes shape. Thank you for the inspiration!
Cheap (But Not Crappy) Crafting: Basic Big Pendant Necklace
I know what it is like to be overwhelmed and intimidated to make jewellery. I remember going into a bead store in Port Coquitlam out west and being too intimidated to talk to the staff. Which, if you watch me (Suzie) on stART, you know must be hard to believe.
It was all too much! Where to start? What the hell is a finding? How many components do I really need?
I want to say that jewellery can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. Lately I prefer to make pieces as quickly, easily and cheaply as possible.
Let's Go Shopping!
The weekend after a holiday is a great time to shop. Prices on holiday items are slashed! Halloween is my favourite holiday but imagine what you can do with snowflakes or Easter bunnies or glittery hearts after Valentine's Day?
Michaels carries art-1-cake by Amy Labbe and she is so talented! Her aesthetic is one of the best out there, at least when it comes my personal taste. It's whimsical with a slight touch of demented, LOL. This was originally $9.99 and I got it for $1.99 the weekend after Halloween.
What the heck to do next?
First, you need cord. I use a thick black cord but you can use a shoelace. You will be surprised at well those work for necklaces and you can't get a better deal.
I use a cord end or end cap to make fast and easy pendants. You put the cord inside.
You use pliers to ease down one side, then the other and them smoosh it altogether. You really can't go wrong here. You are just clamping it into place.
Using two pliers you open up a jump ring and then put it through the cord end. Do this on both sides.
Keep one open so you can attach a clasp. I just used a cheap one from a batch I got at the dollar store.
You do need pliers to close the jump rings so that the lobster claw has something to really grab to make it easy to put on and take off. Oops! I used a gold end cord, LOL. But who cares? Nobody is going to notice.
Wear it!
Before I did all the detailing with the findings I did a loose and simple hanged man's noose to attach the pendant but you could literally just hang it on the cord and you are good to go!
Inexpensive, fun, fast and simple! All it took was a few findings, tools and cord and you are ready to wear just about any awesome pendant you have. I did this in one sitting and I am not a fast crafter and wore it in my latest video post for my foodie blog already. Too funny! I was also wearing butcher knives earrings I made and the box was for Christmas!
Ep 20: Home, Small and Fast (Video Version)
Suzie's Shopping Notes from this episode of stART: Skeleton cameos, cabochons/frames, button silicon mold, teapot/cupcake silicon mood, crochet hooks and stitch counters. Happy shopping!
- Hello stART listeners! We are again so back on our regular biweekly schedule and this week we not only get a chance to share what we've done and what we are going to be doing, as well as discuss what 'home' feels like to us.
- As always, there is some show and tell to the shows so make sure to watch our video version which will be up here as well as on YouTube. We are keeping to creative updates and looking to what we are working on in the future, which keeps the podcast to about 30minutes which has really been working for us - we hope you enjoy it that way too. Our Musings portion has taking a bit of a break, but we may still share them as individual videos here and on our http://www.youtube.com/user/RidlerSisters page.
- We would love to hear your thoughts on what *you* are creating and musing about these days!
Where to find us:
- Have a question or a comment? Email us.
- Find Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios.ca and her podcast Creative Living with Jamie and her blog Jamie's Sketchbook.
- Find Suzie at Suzie the Foodie, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and on YouTube
- Find Shannon at Planet Shannon, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and YouTube channel.
- Subscribe to the stART Sisters Podcast Here.
- We've been back at our bi-weekly schedule, so we'll be seeing you again in 2 weeks for our next episode.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Ep 20: Home, Small and Fast
- Hello stART listeners! We are again so back on our regular biweekly schedule and this week we not only get a chance to share what we've done and what we are going to be doing, as well as discuss what 'home' feels like to us.
- As always, there is some show and tell to the shows so make sure to watch our video version which will be up here as well as on YouTube. We are keeping to creative updates and looking to what we are working on in the future, which keeps the podcast to about 30minutes which has really been working for us - we hope you enjoy it that way too. Our Musings portion has taking a bit of a break, but we may still share them as individual videos here and on our http://www.youtube.com/user/RidlerSisters page.
- We would love to hear your thoughts on what *you* are creating and musing about these days!
- Have a question or a comment? Email us.
- Find Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios.ca and her podcast Creative Living with Jamie and her blog Jamie's Sketchbook.
- Find Suzie at Suzie the Foodie, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and on YouTube
- Find Shannon at Planet Shannon, Hexed: Sisterhood of the Supernatural and YouTube channel.
- Subscribe to the stART Sisters Podcast Here.
- We've been back at our bi-weekly schedule, so we'll be seeing you again in 2 weeks for our next episode.
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