Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop: Celebrate with Charming Fireworks for the 4th of July

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Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop, How to make a charm bracelet, jewelry for 4th of July, patriotic jewelry, Suzann Sladcik Wilson

by Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Charming Fireworks for the Fourth by Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Welcome, Beadphoria friends! This month’s Designer Crafts Connection blog hop theme is Celebrations. Add a pop of patriotism to any outfit by creating this Charming Fireworks for the 4th bracelet. It is sure to help you celebrate Independence Day in style!

Materials

• 6 Star beads in blue and white
• 7 Cylinder beads in red, white, and blue
• 6 6mm Swarovski Crystals in Light Siam
• 7 6mm Swarovski Crystals in Fire Opal
• 6 3mm silver ball shaped spacers
• 7 4mm silver disc shaped spacers
• 15 jump rings
• 13 Headpins
• 7 inches of chain
• Toggle Clasp

Tools

• Round Nose Pliers
• Chain Nose Pliers
• Flush Cutters

Directions

1. To create your firework charm, on one headpin place one disc bead, one cylinder bead, and one fire opal Swarovski crystal. Complete your charm by making a wrapped loop at the top. Repeat 6 more times.

2. Next, create the star charm, place one ball spacer, one star bead, and one light siam Swarovski crystal onto a headpin. Finish you charm by making a wrapped loop at the top. Repeat 5 more times.

3. Using your chain nose and round nose pliers, swing open a jump ring. Insert jump ring into top loop of one of the charms. Leave jump ring open. Repeat 12 more times.

4. On the third link from the end of your chain, hook the jump ring part of one of the firecracker charms around the bottom part of the link. Enclose the jump ring around the link using your chain nose and round nose pliers.

5. Skip a link. Then using the same method as in step 4, attach a star charm. Repeat the pattern of firework and star charms until all 13 charms are attached.

6. Attach one half of the clasp to either end of your chain using the final two jump rings.

7. Enjoy your bracelet!

Etchall Blog Hop – Seeing Stars 4th of July Necklace

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Etchall, Etched Jewelry, How to etch glass, jewelry for 4th of July, patriotic jewelry, Soldered Glass Pendents, Suzann Sladcik Wilson

By Suzann Sladcik Wilson

Seeing Stars 4th of July Necklace by Suzann Sladcik Wilson. Etchall etching cream was used to create the stars on the glass of the pendent.

For months now, I have wanted to take my soldering in a new direction. I wanted to try etching the glass, but was afraid of the harsh chemicals that I thought you needed to create the designs. Little did I know until this month’s DCC blog hop that there was an answer to my fears in the form of Etchall! Etchall etching cream does not contain the hazardous acids that many other etching cream do. This also means there are no noxious fumes. Etchall cream can also be used over and over again, which is not the case for its competitors. Check out this tutorial to see how easy it is to use Etchall to make an impression on the glass you use for soldering.

With just a few supplies, you can make your own custom pendent

You will need the following:

• Etchall Etching Cream
• Etchall Etchmask
• Etchall Squeegee
• Two glass slides
• Scissors
• Star Paper Punch

Instructions:

1. Lay one glass slide onto the back of the Etchall Etchmask and cut a piece of the mask slightly larger than your glass slide.

Glass slide with star mask waiting to be etched.

2. Using your punch, cut out star shapes in your mask. This will create your stencil.

3. Once you have punched out the stars for your stencil, carefully pull the backing off and press onto the glass slide. Rub the squeegee over the stencil to make sure all areas are laying flat against the glass.

Patiently waiting while Etchall does its thing!

4. Pour cream along long edge and spread with your squeegee, covering all exposed areas. Wait 15 minutes.

5. After the 15 minutes are up, use your squeegee to return unused portion of cream back into the bottle.

6. Rinse well underwater to remove remaining cream. Remove stencil from glass under running warm water.

Glass slide with etched stars.

7. Your stars are now permanently etched onto your glass!

Etched glass with scrapbook paper, another slide for the back, and copper foil tape.

8. Cut out a piece of scrapbook paper of your choosing to fit between the pieces of glass. Wrap with copper foil tape.

Finished Seeing Stars soldered pendent by Suzann Sladcik Wilson

 9. Finish your pendent by soldering around the copper foil and adding a jump ring.

Beadphoria for Designer Crafts Blog Hop: “For Country” Necklace

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bead, beaded necklace designs, beaded necklaces, beading, beading design, beading tips, Beadphoria, Beadphoria.com, Beadphoria.wordpress.com, beads, creative beading, creativity, Designer Craft Connection, Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop, DIY Jewelry, inspiration, Jewelry By Suzann Sladcik Wilson, jewelry design, jewelry for 4th of July, jewelry making, Jewelry with Flea Market Finds, Jewelry with vintage components, make your own jewelry, National Lutheran Commission For Soldiers and Sailors Welfare, Necklace Designs, patriotic jewelry, Sunshine Polishing Cloths, Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Vintage Medallions, www.Beadphoria.com, www.BeadphoriaBoutique.com

Time for another Designer Craft’s Blog hop! With Memorial Day having just past and the 4th of July coming around the corner, this month’s theme of “Patriotic”  comes at the perfect time.

When this challenge rolled around, I knew I wanted to create something unusual. “Patriotic” is a somewhat vintage word in that it brings up memories of our country’s heritage. I felt the necklace design should reflect that.

Rummaging through a bag of old medallions and tags from a local flea market, I came across this pendant. Originally, it was so tarnished, it appeared to be copper or bronze. Using a Sunshine Polishing Cloth and a lot of elbow grease, a treasure was unveiled.

The medallion was actually silver with gold highlights. What a surprise!

Finding out more about this patriotic medallion has been quite a challenge. There has only been one other image I have been able to find on Google like it. A brief mention is made about the National Lutheran Commission For Soldiers on the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America website.  If you are aware of any other information, please let me know in the comments!

I wanted to the design of the necklace to include patriotic colors, but in a more subdued way. Here is the final design “For County” using the pendant.

Beadphoria "For Country" Necklace designed by Suzann Sladcik Wilson for Designer Crafts Blog Hop

What do you think of the patriotic “For Country” piece? I would love to have your feedback in the comments below.

Now, click on either “forward” or “back” on the Designer Blog Hop button on the right hand side of the blog and see what other Patriotic creative ideas my fellow designers have come up with!

If you have any questions about beading, or the “For Country” necklace, please feel free to contact me at 224-305-3321 or Suzann@Beadphoria.com. Always happy to share the joy of beading with you, Suzann Sladcik Wilson of Beadphoria.com and BeadphoriaBoutique.com.

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