Beaded Button Rings - Tutorial!

Hi everyone,

I have a new tutorial for you! This one is super easy, and kind of similar to one of my earlier tutorials, also for button rings, but I personally like this one better, and I think it has the coolest result for something so simple. It's actually my new favorite project, since the end result is so pretty. So, wanna see what I made? ^^



This one is my favorite, because it just has that cool, medieval feel to it, which I love.



This is an old, Austrian military button, which I like because it's tiny and cute, while also having the fun crest on it.


And this one is a button with the crest and motto of the Order of the Garter, a very prestigious order, which goes back many years...Prince William is actually a member of it, which I think is pretty cool.

Now, on to the tutorial...all you need are scissors, elastic string, a fun button, big or small, and a handful of small beads (you'll want them to be bigger than seed beads, though). You'll also want some clear nail polish to dab on the knot at the end.

First, choose your button.



Then, cut a piece of string about an inch longer than you want it to be to go around your finger, then slide it through the hole in the center of the button.



Now start stringing on your beads...



When you're finished stringing on the beads, tie a tight double-knot.



Finally, put a drop of clear nail polish (or any other color will work as well) on the knot to seal it. Then, slip your finished ring onto your finger and wear your unique piece of jewelry with pride.



Cute, huh?(: be sure and let me know if you try it!!

Have a lovely rest of your day! Tonight I'm going with a couple friends to see the new Harry Potter at midnight...should be fun, but I expect to come home thoroughly drained! Then in the morning I'm leaving for an overnight vacation with my family...which will lead to a packed, though fun weekend.(:

~Vicki

Collaged Painting

Hi everyone,

Only five more posts until 100! I think I mentioned it in my last post, but I am on a painting kick right now, and it's virtually all that I do, haha. There's just something exciting about slapping paint across paper (or canvas, or whatever, haha), and it's a great stress-reliever, too, especially if you're painting abstracts. Anyway, a couple of days ago, I discovered a few pieces of cardboard, which I decided would act as a kind of canvas. ^^ I covered it with a collage of phone book paper, sheet music, and book pages, outlined the edges with a black pen, then went crazy with my purple hued paints. After that, I had to decide what would go on top of the painting, and I decided that I would turn it into a reminder of what the Bible says to and about women. So I wrote almost the entirety of Proverbs 31, about the qualities of a virtuous woman, in script, then took one of my Victorian paper dolls and added it to the forefront, along with a doily. Then, I took little strips of paper and wrote some of my favorite Bible verses towards women on them, then added them to the empty spaces. I really love how it turned out...what do you think?



And here's close-ups of the verses:





What do you think?(: I really love it...^^

Have a lovely night!

~Vicki

Miniature Masterpieces

Hi everyone,

How has your day been so far? It looks like I'm also going to have to take fall quarter off from school, as we just found out I was supposed to apply back in April, so I may not be going back until January. My first thought -- "What on earth am I going to do with myself until January??" Well, I always find something to do, and whatever happens is God's will for me, which means that the ultimate result will be a great one.(: I also had my hair cut today....I said, "Take off an inch." Now half of my hair is gone! I really do love my hair long, and I just wanted my split ends trimmed, but....oh well. I'll have fun experimenting with different ways to style it, and something cute is sure to come out!

Anyway...lately I've been playing around with painting, and while I love it, let me tell you that I am NOT a painter. My talents do not lie in that area, as I've discovered. But, this project turned out looking really awesome.



What did I do to make it look as though I'm an accomplished painter? I cheated.

I cut out some photos from magazines and glued them onto some cute little mini canvases I had bought, then took my paints and attempted to turn the photos into art nouveau paintings. Once I finished, it just looked just like a painting! Well...it is, but then again, it isn't. I don't even know what you would call this technique...haha.

But I love them.



This was my first one...I gave her new hair, a new dress, and a bright yellow background.



This was my second one...and it's also my favorite. I really love how her hair turned out, along with her outfit. I'm also very proud of the clouds I painted in the background, haha. I always wanted to paint clouds!



And here's the third one. This one is actually just a tracing paper butterfly with a collaged background. Once upon a time, it was meant to be a painting too, but somehow that painting ended up looking like a little kid's first self-portrait....it was really, really bad. So I covered it up, and made it into something pretty.(: I actually really like the end result.

Well, have a lovely day! Be sure and watch for my next post in my countdown to a hundred!(:

~Vicki