Mixed Metal Necklace!

Mixed metal finishes in jewelry designs are all the rage right now! Layering bangles of gold, bronze, and silver on your wrist feels lush and extravagant. Stacked rings in varied metallic hues exhibit a chic, confident appearance and layered necklaces, well, don't get me started. Plus mixing metals  augments the pieces that can be paired with an ensemble freeing you up to wear all of your favorites in one outing. 

This trend stands in opposition of traditional style guidelines, which dictates only wearing one finish at a time. But, why? We are living in an age where we have the fashion freedom to ditch the stockings, shed the girdle, and don white AFTER Labor Day, so why not mix our metals, too! 

Not sure about this fashion statement? Let me ease you into it with an easy, sophisticated multi-strand necklace project. 

Let's get started...

What You'll Need

30" Craft Fantastic Rolo Chains - 4  chains in the silver finish

30" Craft Fantastic Rolo Chains - 4 chain in the antique brass finish

Craft Fantastic Small Jump Rings - silver finish

Craft Fantastic Small Jump Rings - antique brass finish

Craft Fantastic Large Jump Rings - silver or antique brass finish. I used silver.

Craft Fantastic Lobster Clasp - match the finish to your large jump rings. 

Pliers   

This is going to go quick. My favorite kind of project! 

Using pliers, remove the clasp and small jump rings from each of the antique brass rolo chains. Keep the clasp for future projects, but toss the jump rings. They're just a bit too small for this project and once they've been used, it's difficult to maintain a smooth circular shape if used multiple times. I like to start fresh with new jump rings.

Attach a new small jump ring to each end of the rolo chains.

Do the same using the rolo chains in the silver finish.

String one end of each of the chains onto a large jump ring.

You should end up with this.

Do the same with the other ends and remember to attach the large lobster clasp. As you can see by my photo, I forgot this step and had to do a little last minute adjustment to add it.

Here's a my finished piece! The length is long and elegant and the mixed finishes make the piece eye-catching without the addition of a pendant or additional decorative elements. This would be beautiful draped against a dressy black blouse, or it would elevate the look of a simple basic tee.

I have LOTS of ideas for multi-strand and mixed metal pieces so be sure to check back frequently to see what I'm working on! Remember, you can find ALL of the supplies to complete this project in the Craft Fantastic Online Shop! 

Follow Craft Fantastic on Facebook for sneak peeks, giveaways and project ideas! AND have this blog delivered weekly right to your In Box by signing up in the sidebar to receive updates by email. You'll never miss a post! 

Looking for more?! Sign up for our monthly NEWSLETTER!

See you next week with something new! 

Our NEW Inspirational Art Image Sheet!

A few weeks ago we introduced new Art Image Sheets in the Craft Fantastic Online Shop. One in particular stands out as the favorite, so I'm featuring it today along with a few simple projects. The Inspirational Art Image Sheet is fresh, happy, and uplifting! What will you create with it?    

Find this sheet and MORE in the Craft Fantastic Online Shop! Sign up in the sidebar to have new Craft Fantastic posts delivered right to your In Box and you'll never miss a post! 

Faux Toggle Heart Pendant

There's just enough time to squeeze in one more heart themed project before Valentine's Day! I love the look of a toggle pendant, so I reached for a few handy supplies and created a "faux" version. This pendant does not actually have a toggle. It's designed to slip over your head, but I pulled the end of the chain through the large jump ring and attached a small heart charm tray to give it the same stylish design of a traditional toggle.

Let's get started...

What You'll Need

Craft Fantastic Medium Heart Glass

Craft Fantastic Medium Heart Tray

Craft Fantastic Small Heart Charm Tray w/ Glass - sold together as a kit.

Assorted Craft Fantastic Art Images - these were found on the Valentine's sheet.

Craft Fantastic  30" Rolo Chain

Craft Fantastic Large Jump Rings

Craft Fantastic Small Jump Rings

Craft Fantastic Pliers

Fantastic Glaze & Glue

Fantastic Jeweler's Dots

Scissors

Cotton Swabs

I've gathered my tools and supplies and I'm ready to start!

I begin by adhering my selected images to my small and medium glass hearts and trimming them out.

I place a Fantastic Jeweler's Dot into each tray, remove the backing to expose the adhesive and firmly press my glass piece into each tray.

Using the pliers, I attach the large jump ring to the bail on the medium heart pendant.

Next, I remove the lobster clasp and 2 small jump rings from the 30" rolo chain.

I'll keep this lobster clasp to use on a future project.

Using one of my new small jump rings, I attach the large jump ring with the pendant to one end of the chain.

I pull the other end of the chain through the large jump ring and using another small jump ring I attach the small heart charm tray.

Voila! Isn't that a fun look!

It doesn't get much easier than that, but the finished look is sophisticated and unique. A perfect last minute Valentine's Day project! 

Did you enjoy this project? I post a new technique or project each week and you can have it delivered directly to your Inbox by signing up in the sidebar to receive Craft Fantastic blog updates by email!

Also, follow us on Facebook for new product peeks and special giveaways! Click HERE to learn more! 

See you next week with something new!

Handmade Card Embellishments!

Valentines's Day is right around the corner! I am a cardmaker by nature so this holiday speaks to the part of my heart that belongs to paper and ink and all things shiny. Because of my obsession with little bits of loveliness one of my favorite things to do is create custom embellishments for my special handmade greetings.

I can easily do that with the glass, trays, findings and images available at Craft Fantastic. They afford me the flexibility to quickly incorporate special little bits into my creations. Here's a peek at a few of the Valentine's Day cards I'm sending out this year.

This one is a bit less traditional using colors normally reserved for Spring. I like the lightness of this card and how it gives the recipient a glimpse of warmer days to come. Here I've used a Medium Glass Round and two Tiny Glass Rounds plus images pulled from the Washi Papers and Vintage Matchbox Image Sheets.

Here's a close up shot of the sweet embellishments I made for this card.

My next card is simple, but a Medium Glass Heart and a series of Tiny Glass Rounds featuring images from the Valentine's Day and Tiny Alphabet #2 Image Sheets, help to convey my message. 

Here's a closer look! 

A little "love" goes a long way!

Here I've used one of the Twinkle Pendants I created last week. If you need a refresher on how I created this, here's a link. A Small Heart Charm available in our Small Heart Charm Kit adds just the right finishing touch to this card. 

These embellishments made for fun additions to my Valentine's Day cards. Imagine personalizing them to suit the recipient by creating glass pieces that feature a family photo, a picture of a special pet, a map image showcasing a hometown, a bit of artwork from Jr's fingerpainting class, the list goes on and on! The options are truly endless and I guarantee that whoever receives one of your cards adorned with a customized embellishment will be truly surprised and amazed at your thoughtfulness.

Email me pics of your Craft Fantastic creations at DearCrafty@CraftFantastic.com. If I use your picture on our Facebook Page I will send you a coupon good for 10% off your next order in the Craft Fantastic Online Shop! AND... don't forget to follow this blog by adding your email to the Sign Up Box in the sidebar. You'll never miss a post and we'll deliver the latest and greatest Craft Fantastic tutorials and projects right to your computer!

New in the Craft Fantastic Shop! Image Sheets!

We have several new Art Image Sheets in the Craft Fantastic Shop! Stop by and check them out! Today I'm featuring some quick and easy projects created with our new Vintage Matchbox Art Image Sheet. The colors are vibrant, the images have a retro appeal and they really make for some eye catching designs! Have a look!

Find this sheet and MORE in the Craft Fantastic Online Shop! Sign up in the sidebar to have new Craft Fantastic posts delivered right to your In Box and you'll never miss a post! 

Twinkle Pendants

I have a confession to make. Since I was a wee girl I have had a fascination with all things shiny. The high gloss paint job on a swanky new bicycle, the iridescent glass ornaments that dangled precariously from the limbs of our Christmas tree, the pristine coral polish on my mom's perfectly manicured fingernails, all of these things enchanted me. I would stare at them wide-eyed without blinking as if they would instantly lose their shine should I close my eyes for even a second.

Forty some odd years later (don't bother doing the math) and not much has changed. I am still that wide-eyed little girl instantly distracted by anything shiny, glittery, sparkly, twinkly, etc. And based upon my review of the most popular Craft Fantastic blog posts of 2015, you are, too. The nail polish techniques and the glitter tutorials proved to capture your attention, so I thought, why not combine the two to create Twinkle Pendants. 

Let's get started.        

What You'll Need

Craft Fantastic Assorted Glass Cabochons - whatever size, whatever shape your heart desires.

Craft Fantastic Assorted Trays - to match your glass pieces.

Fantastic Jeweler's Dots

Clear Nail Polish - nothing fancy.

Assorted Colored Nail Polish - whatever is handy. No need to buy new polish.

Ultra Fine Glitter - I have had this jar of glitter for at least 15 years. Check your craft stash and use what you have readily available. I like this Fossil color as it's fairly neutral yet still super sparkly. 

No need for a lot of supplies. That means I can quickly gather my tools and get started without much preparation. My kind of project!

I start with a quick coat of clear nail polish on the back of the glass cabs and then gently sprinkle the glitter on top. Sit these aside to dry.

Next I follow with a coat of nail polish. Most of the polish I used required a minimum of 3 coats to get a nice opaque finish. If the polish was too sheer after 3 coats, I topped it with a coat of white or black polish. If I leave the glass too sheer, the jeweler's dot will be visible behind the glass when I affix it to the tray. Not a good look. 

After my glass cabs have thoroughly dried, I'm left with glittery, twinkly brightly colored glass pieces ready to be added to Craft Fantastic Trays using a Fantastic Jeweler's Dot.

Antique Brass Small Fancy Heart Charm Kit, Antique Brass Medium Heart Tray

Antique Brass Medium Round Frame Tray

Antique Brass Large Oval Ornate Tray

Antique Brass Medium Square Tray, Silver Medium Square Tray

Antique Silver Medium Fancy Heart Tray, Antique Silver Medium Round Sunflower Tray

Silver Medium Square Tray, Antique Silver Medium Round Owl Tray

Antique Silver Small Fancy Heart Charm Kit, Silver Medium Heart Tray

Well, it doesn't get much easier than that! I hope you'll try making your own Twinkle Pendants. If you do, be sure to share pictures on the Craft Fantastic Facebook Page! We love to see what our Crafty Friends are working on! 

Don't miss a post! Sign up to receive blog updates by email and we'll drop the latest and greatest Craft Fantastic Tutorials right in your In Box!