My "Bless Me and Protect Me from Evil" Necklace

or, what to do with all of those old religious medals.

A while back, I created a one-of-a-kind necklace for myself that generates a conversation whenever I wear it.  I took 15 old religious medals (that kind generally worn by faithful Catholics), spaced them out, and hung them from a brass-colored chain with large links.  I picked out different shapes and sizes, some from my grandmother and mom, others that I had collected along my way in life.  Its longer length is great to wear with sweaters, and I really like that is jingle-jangles.  I call it my "Bless Me and Protect Me from All Evil" necklace. 

Here's a brief tutorial on how you can make one!

First, collect all of the medals you have (or can get your hands on).  Looks a flea markets, thrift stores, and through the drawers and jewelry boxes of relatives and/or friends.  Let people know you're looking for them, and you'd be surprised how many you'll get!  You may have to pay a couple of dollars each for them at a flea market, but don't be afraid to bargain!

Sort through the medals and select the ones you'd like to use -- you can pick a theme (one of mine has medals featuring the Blessed Virgin Mary, another is made up of only saints), or stick to a color (silver, brass, gold), or make a mixed metal necklace, which is what I prefer.  I like to select unusual shapes -- crosses, ovals, cut-out medals, squares, etc.  Lay out your medals in a pleasing manner.  This necklace has the largest medal in the center, and each one is a bit smaller working out to each side.  I have put smaller medals next to the large one in the center on occasion...it helps fill in the gaps created by very large medals.

You'll need 21 inches of chain, and one jump ring for each medal, plus two for the clasp.

The center medal is a 'book' that opens!

I select a chain with larger links in a 'neutral' color, usually gun-metal grey or brass.  I buy this by the inch/foot at The Bead Garden, in Havertown, Pa., (www.thebeadgarden.com ) which is my local bead store.  These necklaces are 21" long.  You'll also need jump rings -- these are the little round or oval-shaped rings that can open with a pair of chain nose or round nose pliers.  Start in the center of your necklace.  Open a jump ring, slip on the medal, and slip the jump ring through the center link on your chain.  Close the jump ring.  A note about opening and closing jump rings:  jump rings are in a nice, round circle.  Don't pull the cut ends away from each other and distort the circle.  Instead, use the pliers to hold one side of the ring, and use your thumb to push the ring down and away from you, until you have a big enough opening to slip on the medal.  Then, use your fingers (or a second pair of pliers) to pull the ring back up toward you, until the cut ends are even and touching.  Some medals may already have a jump ring on them...you can use it, but I replace them so all of the jump rings are the same.

 
Depending on how big your center medal is, you'll want to count over a few links to hang the next one.  In the photo above, I hung the next medal four links over to the right, and then the third four links over to the left of center.  After I put on each pair of medals, I hold the chain up and see if the placement is good -- I want the medals to be separate, but still clink together when the necklace is worn.  Continue adding medals, right and left, until all of them are on your chain.
  

The last thing to add is a clasp.  I prefer a hook and a jump ring ...it's easy for me to do myself.  The weight of the medals will keep the necklace from coming undone while you are wearing it. 

 

That's it!  You have a one-of-a kind piece of jewelry, with a little added protection from above (we hope!). 

Is anything as American as Apple Pie?

Well, maybe baseball...

Until a few years ago, I didn't know that Pennsylvania was a large apple growing state.  My d.h. and I took a little trip in the Fall of 2010 from Philadelphia to Gettysburg (my first time to the battlefield) and made our way further west to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  The Appalachian Trail Museum is located there, and if you're up for a hike, the trail runs through the park and you can walk along it for a while. 

Back to my point -- we drove through miles and miles of apple orchards between York, Pa., and the park, and workers were harvesting truckloads of apples.  I can't resist the urge this time of year to visit my local orchard and pick up a half-bushel of apples and make applesauce (which I freeze), but  I always set aside 7 or 8 apples for a fresh pie.  My d.h. loves Dutch Apple best, and so do I.   

Here's the recipe:  Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. 
1)  One pie crust, unbaked, rolled out and placed in a deep dish 9" pie plate (You can make your own crust, but this year I used a Pillsbury refrigerated crust.)  Sprinkle about 1 tsp flour over the bottom of the crust.

I pinch the edges of the pie crust and press my finger into the ridge to make it look 'fluted.'

2)  Peel and slice 7 - 10 apples (depending on the size - enough to fill pie plate); place in a large bowl.
3)  In a small bowl, mix 1 cup sugar, 3 TBS flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 TBS Minute (dry) Tapioca.  Pour over apples and stir gently to coat.  (The tapioca absorbs the juices as the apples bake.)
4)  Prepare crumb topping:  1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 3 TBS cold butter or margarine.  Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the sugar and flour, until it resembles coarse crumbs. 
5)  Spoon apples into pie crust, heaping them high...they will shrink when they bake.  Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples. 

A heaping pile of apples, before adding the crumb topping!

6)  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for another 40 minutes. 
7)  Remove from oven and let cool.  You can it serve warm...it tastes especially good with vanilla ice cream!
Hint:  you may want to put a piece of foil on the oven rack beneath the pie...the apple juice may bubble up and spill, and the foil will keep the oven from getting messy.      

Yum!  I may have to make another!

A True Blue Baby Quilt

It may be blue, but it's for a new baby girl!

I recently finished up a 'wearable art' jacket, using Moonlight Design's "Sunset Strip" pattern (www.moonlightdesignquilts.com).  The jacket called for eight different fabrics in the same color family, and blue was my color of choice.  The lining was navy, but the strips ranged from light periwinkle to teal to true blue. 

Funny thing, though...when I finished the jacket, I had stacks and stacks of leftover strips of fabric that were 1 1/2" wide.  Since I hate to throw anything out, I browsed through a few quilting books, and found a block suitable for using up the leftovers, plus a few fabric scraps I pulled from my stash.  It is a variation of a log cabin block, called "Barn Raising Log Cabin." 

There are two things that make this quilt block different from a regular log cabin block.  The first is the center square.  On the barn raising block, the center is made up of two triangle pieces, one light and one dark (also called 'half square triangles').  Second, the fabric strips were sorted into three piles:  light, medium and dark.  The light strips were sewn on the two sides adjacent to the light triangle, and the dark strips were sewn on the two sides adjacent to the dark triangle.  The medium strips were mixed in on both sides. 

This baby quilt is made up of 16 blocks.  When I laid the blocks out, I arranged the dark sides of four blocks together to form the center.  As I added the other blocks, I matched the light sides to another light side, and the dark sides to dark sides.  By aligning dark to dark and light to light, another design pops out...a square, on point, in the center, within a band of light, then dark, surrounding it. 

I framed the quilt with a dark, narrow border, and added a four inch medium-toned border all around.  Can you imagine what this would look like if the quilt were 12 blocks wide by 16 blocks long?  It would make a beautiful queen-sized quilt.

So, why is this quilt for a baby girl?  Well, you can't see it too well from this photo, but the fabrics have floral prints, swirls and patterns that read 'girly,' and there's a lot of  periwinkle (bordering on violet) in the border print.  Plus, I have a friend who is expecting in mid-winter, and I think she'll really love this for her firstborn. 

There is still a pretty large pile of 1 1/2" wide strips left over...some day, I'll make something else from them.  In the meantime, I have to get busy on two other baby quilts...we're expecting two grand-nephews or neices on my husband's side of the family soon!

Keep stitchin'!

Renee

Stamping Techniques: Brayered Background and Basic Embossing

I belong to a monthly ATC (artist trading card) swap, and every month around this time, I'm working on cards to trade with the other stamp artists.  Having a deadline keeps me stamping, and I like to try out different background techniques and coloring methods.  But, after all of these years of stamping, I do go back to some 'tried and true' methods to create my ATCs.  The tutorial for today is mostly for newbies...using a brayer to apply color for a background, and how to heat emboss.

The swap theme this month is "Fall Leaves."  There are several stamps in my stash that I could use, but I decided I wanted a really large leaf, so it would take up most of the 2.5" by 3.5" card.  I didn't have much time to spend making the cards, so I decided to use my hard rubber brayer to apply the color to the cardstock.

Kaleidacolor, by Tsukineko, makes an "Autumn Leaves" stamp pad that has orange, red-orange, brown, goldenrod and moss green inks on it.  Each color has its own separate pad, and when you are ready to use them, you flip a little switch on the plastic container to push the pads together.

My brayer is pretty old, but Speedball sells a hard rubber brayer with a nice handle on it.  The key to inking the brayer is to remember to roll it over the pad a few times (so the entire cylinder is inked) and to go in the same direction on the pad, so you get a good saturation of color in the same spot.  If you roll the brayer across the pad horizontally and then vertically, the colors will get muddied, both on the brayer and on your ink pad.    

This technique works best on glossy paper.  The ink sits on top of the paper for a bit, and allows you to brayer over it a couple of times to move the ink around and better cover the paper.  (You can try it on regular cardstock, but you'll have to re-ink frequently, and once the ink is on the paper, it soaks in and can't be 'moved'.)

I was working on a scrap of cardstock about 4" x 6", so I didn't have to repeat the brayering more than twice.  If you are covering an 8.5" x 11" piece of cardstock, you will have to repeat the brayering process several times.  Here's another hint -- after you lay down the first roll of color, flip the paper over for the second roll...this will create a mirror image of the ink pattern, giving you a wider swath of color on the paper.  I did this with the paper I'm using here.  You can see the green ink left and right, with more orange in the center.

After I laid down the color, I stamped the image using a VersaMark ink pad (also by Tsukinkeo).  This is a clear ink that can be embossed.  On regular cardstock, it appears as a watermark when allowed to dry without embossing. 

Working quickly, I sprinkled on my embossing powder over the wet ink.   I used copper embossing powder.  Don't be afraid to use a lot of embossing powder; just flip over your card and tap the back with your finger to remove the excess onto a piece of scrap paper, then pour the excess back into its container.

Be careful not to touch the image before you heat emboss it, or the powder will smear off.  It can wait to be heat embossed, so if you are doing a number of the same images, work in an assembly-line fashion before you heat emboss them all.  Turn on your embossing gun and let it warm up for a few seconds, then hold it over your embossed image (about 2-3 inches away) until the powder begins to melt.  Move the heat gun back and forth, so you don't burn the powder or your paper.  You will see the design raise up and begin to get shiny. 

 

Continue to move your heat gun around the image until the entire thing is embossed.  Let it cool a few minutes before you touch it, or it will smear.

For this project, I trimmed my glossy cardstock down to 2.25" x 3.25", then mounted each on a piece of burnt orange cardstock. 

Then I decided to try something a little different with my leaf image.  Instead of brayering the background, I stamped and embossed the image, then used Judi-Kins duster brushes to apply the ink from my Kaleidacolor pad.  It creates a softer image, but I like it, too.  The last thing I did was rub over the embossing, to remove any residual ink and really make the image shiny. 

 

I had an extra leaf, so I trimmed around it closely, and mounted it to the front of a card that I made. 

 

 

So, I finished up my ATCs and they'll get into the mail tomorrow.  I hope this tutorial will inspire you.  More stamping again soon!

 

Making Old Jewelry New Again

Whenever I pop into a thrift store or a flea market, I always take a few minutes to browse through the jewelry.  You never know what you'll find there!  I once picked up a garnet necklace for $5.00.  I brought it home, restrung it and added a chunky garnet, pearl and silver pendant, and it looked totally different (and way more expensive!). 

My sister Gina sent me some necklaces that she found that needed some lovin'.  I forgot to take the 'before' photos, but I did get some great 'after' pics, which I'll share with you!

The first two necklaces were pretty straighfoward...
both had wonky seed beads in between each of the designer beads, and they looked a bit dated.

With the red necklace, I replaced the wonky beads with  smaller, darker red seed beads (size 11).  From a short distance, it looks like the necklace is knotted between each bead.  At first glance, I thought these beads were Chinese cinnabar, but they are actually German or Czech glass.  They have a great carved texture to them.

The second necklace also is made of glass beads.  They are white with an red-orange swirl design in them.  The original was separated by white wonky seed beads, but I replaced them with Swarvoski crystal 4 mm bicones in Fire Opal.  There are shades of red, orange and dark gold in each bead, which brings out the color of the original beads.

The third necklace is a 'found item' necklace, for lack of a better term.  Gina had found an old MGM Grand Hotel key from Las Vegas.  It's pretty cool -- it has the MGM lion embossed on the front.  She asked me to make that the center pendant on a necklace with other charms and beads. 

I added some bling to the key first, though.  I took a short piece of rhinestone chain and used E-6000 glue to adhere it to the length of the key.  Hunting for the other charms and beads in my stash was a challenge.  I ended up mixing the metals...you'll see brass (the color of the key) as well as silver, copper and a touch of gold.  I kept the beads in shades of bronze and green as much as possible.  A pair of dice beads next to the key was a nod to the Vegas story. 

 The final piece I worked on for Gina was this 1940's style clear glass necklace (below).  This one took a little more time.  Each bead is on an eye pin, attached to the next bead, to create a chain of beads, and I replaced every eye pin.  The original necklace had two metal bicone beads that were showing a great deal of wear, and Gina wanted them removed.  I substituted 8 mm Swarovski crystal bicones in Sapphire blue.  I hope she doesn't mind that I added color to the necklace, but I think the Swarovski really pops. 

I'm still looking for one more finding for this piece...the large crystal-cut pendant at the center has an old bail that is a bit worn.  I may have to special order a gold-filled bail to replace it, if I can find one. 

I could see a bride wearing this necklace, as something "old, borrowed and blue." 

So, three 'old' necklaces re-made, and a new one created.  Not too back for 'found' jewelry.  I think all together I may have spent about $20 for the materials and Swarovski crystals.  I enjoy re-creating something out of old beads and found objects...I'll have another post soon about a fun way to use old religious medals.  Keep tuned!  Till next time... Renee

It's Nearly Time for 'Trick or Treating!'

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!  This may be in part to the fact that I have four kids, and I like to sew...we have had a ball, making costumes and decorations over the years.  I'll dig through my photos and post some soon. 

I also make Halloween cards to send to all of my friends, and especially my dad, who's birthday is October 31. 

All week, Viva Las Vegas Stamps has been having a 'blog hop,' where the design team members show off the latest Halloween stamps and what you can make with them.  Check it out here http://vivalas.blogspot.com/2012/09/all-hallows-eve-party-day-6.html

They invited viewers to post a Halloween card, and I'm always up for a challenge, so here's mine:

 

 

I used black Staz-on ink to stamp the 'monster' (I think it's Herman Munster) into ivory sculpey clay, and cut around it carefully with an exacto knife.  I baked the clay according to the manufacturers directions.  It's very tactile...you can feel the embossed image in the hardened clay.  The only caution to making a clay tile like this...you should use a thin piece of packing foam (like the stuff that comes wrapped around electronics) over the top of the card to keep it from breaking or damaging the envelope. 

 

Both stamps are from Viva Las Vegas Stamps.  I got them in a one pound grab bag about 6 years ago.

 

I have a few ideas about this year's Halloween card...check back later to see how they turn out!

 

Keep stamping!

--Renee

Jelly Making 101

The weather has cooled, and I needed to stay close to home today, so I decided it was the perfect time to make jelly!

My favorite kind of jelly is black raspberry.  It's nearly impossible to find in a grocery...once in a while you may see black raspberry jam, but to me, it's just not the same. 

Black raspberries have a very short season.  I live near Philadelphia, and in this zone, we have about a three-week window around July 4th to pick the berries.  Highland Orchards near West Chester, Pa.,  (www.highlandorchards.net) has several rows, and I've had good luck filling my trays there.  Black raspberries have thorns, so you can get a little scratched up if you don't wear long sleeves.  They aren't cheap, but the end product is worth it! 
 

Don't they look delicious?!

After picking, I bring the berries home and juice them right away to get the freshest flavor.  I have this juicing pan called the Meju-Mahu.  I don't think they sell them in the States anymore, but perhaps one could be found online?  It is like a triple-boiler...there is a pan at the bottom for water, then a pan that sits on top of that to collect the juice, and then a large pan with a colander insert for the fruit that sits on top of the juice pan.  A lid covers it all.  The steam from the bottom pan releases the juice from the berries, and all that's left after about a half hour of steaming is the pulp and seeds. 

 

I usually freeze the juice in plastic containers, because it's just too hot to make jelly in the summer!  When my supply of jelly from last year is getting low, I'll get a couple of containers of juice out of the freezer and get to work. 

 

 Two batches made 13 half-pint jars, plus one 4 oz. jar.

 

Having done this for several years, I kinda have it down to an assembly line production.

 

1.   I wash the jars and put them in a large baking dish; I pour boiling water over them to keep them hot. 

2.  In another pan of boiling water, I put the new lids and rings. 

3.  Three cups of  berry juice, 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 5 cups of sugar go into my largest pot over high heat, and I stand and stir it constantly until it boils.  Then I add Certo (a liquid fruit pectin), return the jelly to a boil for one minute, and then remove it from the heat. 

4.  Working quickly, I ladle the jelly into the jars, wipe the lip of the jars clean, put on a lid and close each jar with the ring.  

 

Most recipes will tell you that you must process the jelly in a hot-water canner for a few minutes, but I don't.  I just put my jars on a cutting board, and allow them to cool.  As they do, a vacuum is created inside the jar, and you hear the lid 'pop' loudly as it seals.  I check each jar after about 2 hours, just to be sure they all have sealed properly.  If one hasn't, I pop it into the refrigerator and use it within the next couple of weeks.  My mom made jelly for years and never processed it in a hot-water canner.  I guess old habits die hard.  Another thing I never do -- double the recipe!  I'm afraid that it won't jell properly, so after the first 7 jars were done, I washed the pans and started a new batch. 

 

Some of this will be given as gifts...but most of it will be spread on piping hot home-made biscuits.  Yum!