Birdies Crochet and Craft: A Little Something for Valentine's Day (Craft)

NOTES OF INTEREST:

Just Crochet/Craft Idea's: It's been a very long time since I have posted anything to my Blog. Due to family and life in general, I got a little detoured. I will try to get time to type up some new entries. I have created a lot of items, gave them away and did not take pictures or type them up. We lost both of our boys this year. Jiggy in March and Stubby in July. We have a new friend her name is MayBee (due to the fact that we weren't quite sure about keeping her). She's 4 years old and full of energy. I make her Kitty Strings with yarn, it was such a hit, I donated some to the local animal shelter. I'll try to put them on the Blog next week. As usual, if you have questions about crafting or crochet, I will answer them under the post where you leave the comment. Thanks for stopping by. Birdie

News of interest and/or Fun:
All your yarn web sites have Free patterns and great yarn buys. So check them out. My favorite finds to date are Red Heart Yarns, Lion Brand and Lilly Sugar & Cream Cotton. Also don't forget the craft stores, like Michael's or Joann's, they also have free patterns in their yarn section and some great books for sale.

Also GO TO... ALL FREE CROCHET or FAVE CRAFTS, They always have new Free e-books and lots of patterns and crafty things. and remember they also have ALL FREE KNITTING too!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A Little Something for Valentine's Day (Craft)

Made these for my daughter's and myself, cute for V-day.

100% Sweetheart Pendant and Earrings

By Berta Gilholm

Supplies:

Sculpey III oven bake clay

(1) ½” x ¾” chunk for pendant

(2) ½” x ¼” for earrings

Creamcoat enamel glaze clear/air dry

Stone or gem approx. 1/8” oval/flat back (I used hemalyke)

Eyepin (silver or gold) 1 ½” long

Hook and Eye 14.5 x 6mm

Fishing swivel smallest size available (buy in hardware store)

Straight Kidney Earwire 2 (silver or gold)

Bead glue in tube

Cord, Ribbon or Crochet chain. (Using #10 cotton and #8 steel hook)

Tools:

Pasta machine (optional)

Small paint brush

Non-stick board work area or pan with parchment paper

Needle nose pliers

Old rag (dampen with water for clean up and smoothing clay surface)

Wooden skewers (for baking and markings)

Instructions:

Knead or roll clay to soften. Make 1 large ball for pendant and 2 for earrings. Flatten balls to apprx. 1/8” thick. For pendant use pliers to shape dip on any side of ball, pinch opposite side with fingers and shape heart, flatten and smooth. Hold carefully and push eyepin from bottom of heart up through top dip until even with clay and using pliers shape hook at top of heart for hanging. Carefully reshape and flatten heart to original design. With skewer make a small circle of indented dots for a slot to insert stone or gem. Press gem into lower part of heart face keeping close to even/flat on surface of heart. Use skewer to make very small lines around gem (like a sunburst design) to help fuse when baking. Use skewer to write 100% above gem. Flatten and smooth rough edges and all sides.

For earrings use same shaping method, instead of eyepin, insert fish swivel halfway its length into top dip of heart. Using skewer you can make a little feather design down center of heart. Flatten and smooth rough edges and all sides.

Line pan with parchment paper, place all hearts flat on top of paper, bake in pre-heated oven 265° for 14 to 15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes, squirt a pinhead amount of glue into swivel and hook on top of hearts. Let dry 2 hours. Take a medium thick black ball point pen and draw in the lines of 100%, let sit 10 minutes. Paint the hearts with a light coat of glaze, let dry 1 day.

In the mean time, cut cord or ribbon to 23” and tie and glue hook and eye on each end, trim. Or chain a 20” cord as follows: using #10 cotton thread (color of your choice), thread the hook and eye on thread. Cast on 1 chain, chain around hook for first end, leave eye on working yarn, chain 150, pull up eye, work 1 chain around eye, slip stitch and fasten off. Weave in loose thread on each end, trim and put a dot of glue to secure. When hearts are dry, put earwires on ear hearts and cord into pendant hook.