How to Make Domino Jewelry
Level: Beginner/Easy

Vintage wood dominoes (click to learn about the history of dominoes )
Jewelry made from recycled materials is earth-friendly and all the rage. The exciting part about making jewelry from recycled materials is that the supplies you need are most likely already right in your own home!
One type of jewelry that is super-stylish and easy to make is domino jewelry. Dominos are fun to craft with and they can easily be made into either pins or pendants.

I created this domino pendant from a copy of a vintage St. Patrick's day post card
To make domino jewelry you will need dominos (either the old fashioned wooden kind or the newer, plastic kind), miscellaneous papers (think collage elements such as copies of vintage images, ephemera, scraps of pretty paper and words or text cut from an old book or magazine, wallpaper scraps, old cigar box labels, etc.), scissors, a decoupage medium, a sponge brush or small paintbrush to apply decoupage medium, jump-rings (for pendants) or pin-backs (for pin brooches), and a strong adhesive glue.
Optional additional embellishing materials include colored pencils, pens, markers, glitter, sequins, small beads, flat buttons, and bits of lace.
I usually like to decorate only one side of the domino and leave the numbered side (the side with the dots) untouched or mostly uncovered. That way when you are wearing your pendant you can turn it over and show your friends that it's a domino!

For this domino pendant I used an illustration and text from a damaged antique book
To begin, first choose your base paper. That will be the largest piece of paper that will cover only the front, or plain side of the domino. This will be the foundation for your finished design. To create your paper base, lay your domino on top of the paper and trace around the domino with a pencil. Then remove the domino and cut out your base paper.
Using a small paintbrush or sponge brush, apply a thin coat of decoupage medium to the plain side of the domino following the directions on the decoupage medium. Next adhere your base paper to the domino and gently press to adhere, being careful to remove all bubbles and lumps — and set aside until completely dry.

Mod Podge is one type of Decoupage Medium
Now comes the fun part! Select images or snippets from your papers and arrange them in a collage-like manner to your domino's base paper. Use a very thin coat of the decoupage medium to adhere your elements to your domino. Let your creativity be your guide.
Here's a tip: I like to start with the larger pieces of paper and then add smaller snippets to that piece in a layered fashion.
When finished, set aside until completely dry. Once your artwork is complete, apply another coat of decoupage medium to seal the piece and let it dry completely. To make a domino pin brooch, adhere a pin-back to the reverse side of your domino with a strong adhesive. To make a domino pendant, adhere a jump ring to the top edge of your domino with a strong adhesive.

Another pendant made with an illustration from a damaged antique book.
With a few basic materials and a little creativity, you can create your own recycled material jewelry that is fun to make and fun to wear!
P.S. — Oh, and be sure to learn how to play dominoes before you make domino jewelry, as you can be sure people at least one person who sees your awesome domino jewelry will ask you, "How do you play dominoes, anyway?" (click here to learn!) Laura
( Click here to see more of my domino jewelry! )
Advanced Technique: Resin Coated Domino Jewelry

Level: Advanced To achieve a glossy, glass-like finish you can coat your domino with resin. Working with resin is an advanced technique that requires a bit more time, patience, as well as safety precautions.

I used a copy of an antique Valentine to make this domino pendant, and then coated it with resin
What is resin jewelry?

The Dick Blick Art Materials website describes it best: " Resin jewelry is made from liquid plastic that turns solid when a hardener is added....Resin has a wonderful appeal for its glass-like properties from crystal clear to translucent glowing hues."
Click here to learn more about the properties of resin.
Before you begin: Resin can be hazardous. It is extremely important to carefully read and follow all directions that are included with the product you are working with. It is also recommended that you do not work with resin around children or pets. You should also read all MSDS (safety data sheets) for any hazardous mediums that you are going to work with. I recommend purchasing materials from businesses that include the MSDS safety data sheets with your purchase.
Before coating a domino with resin, complete all the steps above under the How To Make Domino Jewelry, stopping after applying the finishing/sealing coat of decoupage medium. (do not adhere pin-back or jump rings to your domino.) Allow finished domino to dry overnight.
Working in a clean, dust-free, and temperature controlled area (according to resin packaging directions), prepare the resin exactly according to package directions. Be sure to cover your workspace with newspaper to protect all surfaces, and have paper towels on hand in case of any spills or messes.
Allow resin to set and dry according to package directions. Once completely set and dry, follow the directions above to adhere your pin-back or jumpring to your finished domino.

Image was embellished with glitter before resin was applied

Check out my new jewelry book!

Because we're always slightly afraid you'll get bored of our crazy antics, we have a treat for you today in the form of a guest blogger! If you don't already know her, Sarah from The Ugly Duckling House is stinkin' hilarious and super talented. We love the design of her blog (which she did herself), the adorable pics of her splattered with paint, and her magical touch with liquid gilding. Enjoy! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there! I'm Sarah from The Ugly Duckling House, and I'm thrilled to be guest posting today on East Coast Creative! I met Monica and Jess at the Haven conference earlier this year, and I think they come up with some of the most amazing projects!

A little more about me: I'm awkward. I can't cook. I hate cleaning. But I love tearing my house apart and putting it back together again. I've been working on my"Ugg-Duck" for nearly three years now, and I'm determined — hissy fits and all — to turn my 1980s eyesore into a home I can be proud of. DIY-ing on my own isn't easy (especially with a full-time job and grad school on my plate), and I have had my fair share of weird stories with my house — like finding fingernails in my fridge. Or 4 A.M. catfights. Or freaking out that I had a water leak in my brand new powder room… and realizing it was (possibly) a guest missing my toilet. Yes, that happened.
Right now, I'm working on remodeling my bathroom. But at any given moment, I have at least five other unfinished projects around the house. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of finishing up a full renovation, I use that momentum to give myself an extra push and do something smaller that I might otherwise put off — like my master bedroom jewelry organizer.

I've been spotting a lot of creative jewelry organization ideas on Pinterest, and even though I've been storing my jewelry neatly in a drawer in my closet, I realized I forget to throw on accessories when rushing off to work. These Rationell inserts from Ikea are meant to add storage space to pantries and other cabinets, but I saw the decorative pattern on top and thought it could really look snazzy (& functional, too!) as a jewelry holder.

It was so easy, I could even (sort of) hold my camera steady while putting the project together with one hand. Ha. I just measured…

Marked (simply pushing the tip of the screw into the wall will save you extra pencil marks)…

… and sunk the first screw into place.

And this is where I realized I'd forgotten my level in the bathroom! Ugh. Thankfully, I had a nifty iPhone app with a level that I could use to make sure I kept things straight and even.

By placing the organizer in between my remodeled master bedroom closet and the master bath, I have a great new spot for my jewelry — and less of an excuse to bypass the accessories in the morning!

There you have it — a simple and inexpensive way to get your jewelry in a prime notice me and wear me spot.
Thank you so much to Jess and Monica for letting me stop by, and I hope you visit me (and whatever current mess I'm making) over at The Ugly Duckling House soon! Sarah Psst: Want more? I love to post sneak peeks on Facebook and Instagram. You can also find me on Hometalk and Twitter at uglyducklingDIY.
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Thanks so much for visiting, Sarah! You're welcome back in our houses anytime.: )

We're so thrilled to have Tam from Sew Dang Cute guest posting for us today. The name of her blog is perfect for describing her- she is so dang cute!: ) Tam is so creative, and hosts Crafting with the Stars, which we had so much fun being a part of! She was so encouraging and uplifting, and also extrememely understanding when we turned our weekly projects in really late. Ha! Welcome, Tam!
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Hi, my name it Tam of Sew Dang Cute Crafts and I am so excited to be here today at
The Real Housewives of Buck County.

Some of you may know me from Crafting with the Stars, which I host on my site. I was blown away by Monica and Jess’s insane talent! They were definitely deserving to be Season 3’s champions, and I’m thrilled they asked me to guest post for you guys today. I don’t know about you guys, but my jewelry drawer was an absolute mess. Things were tangled up and completely unorganized. I’ve seen DIY jewelry organizers all over blogland, but none of them were quite what I was looking for. Then one day the wheels were turning, and I came up with the Jewelry Medicine Cabinet.

I can hang my earrings on the doors.

And store all my necklaces and bracelets inside.

It’s perfect and it all started with this frame I found at my local thrift store for $2.

My dad owns a cabinet shop, so when I was out-of-town visiting him this past weekend I took my frame with me and ran my idea by him. He took me to his shop and made it happen for me.

Obviously he has a lot of professional tools that make it so much easier, but don’t worry, you don’t need them to make this. Here’s how we did it: STEP ONE: Build a box the size of your frame. (Or if you have an old drawer your box would already be built – you’d just need to find a frame the same size). We took pieces that were 3.5” wide and mitered the corners, then used wood glue and small pins in the nail gun to put the sides together. If you don’t have a nail gun, you can use a hammer and nails.

You may have noticed that the pieces have a little cut-out in them.

My dad is a bit of a perfectionist, so he cut out an inlay in each piece, so the back piece could fit in the box and everything would be flush.

Then more wood glue and pinning the back piece in place with the nail gun.

My dad has a fancy machine that you can program to cut things for you, so he used that to cut out all the holes in the back piece. If I was just on my own, I would have used a drill bit and that would have worked just as well. We did 5mm holes because my dad had that size of dowels on hand.

STEP TWO: Make a face frame. Since we are attaching some hardware to this and don’t want to risk splitting the wood, my dad recommended adding a face frame to the top of the box.

The wood is just a bit wider and goes right on top with some wood glue and pins.

Go ahead and putty all the holes and cracks. Once it’s dry, sand the entire thing down.

STEP THREE: Make the doors. Cut the frame in half.

Add a strip of wood to the inside of the frame.

We glued it in place and used some vices to hold each door.

Then we also angled the nail gun and put some small pins in to really make it secure.

Put the wooden dowels in the holes and you are ready to paint.
STEP FOUR: Spray paint. I went with white and apparently forgot to take a picture of this step. Oops!
STEP FIVE: Add hardware.

I used my staple gun to add the wire mesh (hardware cloth/chicken wire) to the back of the doors. Then I added hinges to attach the doors to the box and put a catch at the top of each door.

It’s almost there.

The last thing I did was add some knobs on the front of the doors. Then I hung it up and filled it with my jewelry.

All done! Now my jewelry is organized and tangle free!

Thanks so much for having me today Monica and Jess! Have fun in Mexico and congrats on turning 30. I’ll be right there with you next week (30 that is, not Mexico). I hope you guys will all come visit me over at Sew Dang Cute Crafts!

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Isn't that adorable? I'm definitely in need of something cute to help me organize all my jewelry, and I may have just found it! Also, we're super excited because we'll celebrating our one year blogiversary with our first annual:

Come back every day next week for new and awesome giveaways. Trust us, you'll love them! Adios, from Mexico! Have a great weekend-

Jewelry made from antique broken calendar plates...

Antique calendar plate from 1909 with lots of damage
I have a great love for these old advertising calendar plates....they seem to be one of those things that combine everything that I love in one package: it's a plate, it's old, it's got a beautiful floral transferware design on it....but most especially, it marks a certain point in time. In this case, 1909.
Let's see....in 1909 a newspaper cost 1 cent, coffee was 20 cents a pound, (tea was $1 for 2 lbs, by the way), and a pair of children's shoes cost about $1.50! Hershey bars were 2 cents, but they were a lot smaller than today's 1.65 oz, weighing in at 9/16 oz! To put things a bit more into perspective, the average wage was 22 cents per hour, and the average worker made about $350 a year. We can only wonder what things will be like 100 years from now...

Cracked antique calendar plate from 1909
William Carlos Williams published his first book of poetry in 1909, and Pablo Picasso first began dabbling in cubism...

Necklace that I hand crafted from a broken 1909 calendar plate (sold)

Pin brooch I handcrafted from 1909 calendar plate (sold)
Here are a few necklaces that I just made from the broken plate shown above:

September 1909 available here

September 1909 available here

November 1909 necklace available here

November 1909 necklace available here
What do you think? Do you like these?

I love these vintage ads!

Vintage advertisement for monogrammed china
I just LOVE vintage advertisements. I especially love vintage ads featuring china or flatware! I always find myself squinting at the ads I come across, trying to make out the china pattern or silver pattern, wondering if it's one I have in stock for my jewelry making.
I think on two occasions I've found ads for patterns that were the same as or very similar to dishes that I had in stock'One was a Limoges U.S.A. ad for a set of monogrammed floral china. I love these old initial monogram patterns. Over the years I have found some orphaned pieces here and there but for the most part these patterns are hard to find!
Here are a few pieces of jewelry that I created with damaged vintage monogrammed china:

Necklace pendant made from K monogram china (this is the china in the ad above!)

Heart pendant from vintage H monogrammed china

Bracelet made from a vintage monogrammed tea cup

Necklace pendant from vintage A monogrammed china
Vintage and antique monogrammed china is hard to find, but once in a while I come across some that is cracked or chipped or damaged from age or use, and that is what I turn into jewelry.
I think I currently have the letters M and K in stock, if you are interested in any pieces similar to those shown above, check out my Etsy shop! Here is the link:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns
What do you think of monogrammed china jewelry?

Imagine my thrill when I was gifted with this fancy-schmancy sandblasted Fiestaware plate from a Homer Laughlin Fiesta Collector's Association!

It's perfect!

Is this not the cutest thing ever?

I had already been making my jewelry from broken plates and pottery for quite a few years when one day I was approached by a Fiesta collector to enter a contest in which artists create something from broken or damaged Fiesta. Of course, now I cannot find a photo of my winning piece, but it was a piece of jewelry, a heart pin brooch with fancy edges and so pretty! Here are a few photos of some other things I have created with broken Fiesta over the years.

Pin brooch (sold '02)

Mosaic teacup plaque. Doubles as the most awesome bird feeder ever. (sold '03)

Backstamp pendant (sold '04) (approx 1.25")

Bracelet

Love these earrings!

Another necklace pendant (approx 1.5")

Mosaic heart — perfect for the Fiesta kitchen! (approx 6")

Earrings with Swarovski crystals and Czech glass pearls (1/2" by 1 & 1/4")

Read on for some interesting history about Fiesta ware colors:

'At its introduction in 1936, Fiesta was produced in five colors: Red (orange red), Blue (cobalt), Green (light green), Yellow (deep golden), and Old Ivory (yellowish cream). By 1938, two years into production, a sixth color was added: Turquoise ( robin 's egg blue). With the exception of the Red, this color assortment remained in production until approximately 1950. The original Red had been discontinued before 1944 (see below).

The lack of this vibrant color, plus the general changes in society due to the United States' participation in World War II, had caused a slump in sales of the larger serving pieces from the early 1940s. Prior to this reduction in the number of shapes offered, only one or two very specialized shapes had been discontinued and those by 1938. Later items which were discontinued, such as covered onion soup bowls in turquoise glaze and mixing bowl covers in any color, are scarce and highly prized by collectors.

By 1950, home decorating styles and colors had changed. The Homer Laughlin Company discontinued some original glaze colors and replaced them with four new colors. The original Blue (cobalt), the original Green (light green), and the original Old Ivory (yellowish cream) were discontinued, replaced by Rose (pinkish-brown), Gray (medium), Forest (dark green), and Chartreuse (bright yellowish green). Two existing glaze colors, Yellow and Turquoise, continued in production, so the company continued to offer six colors through the 1950s.' Excerpt from the article 'Fiesta (dinnerware)', which can be found HERE in its entirity

One of my later designs, about 2006 (1/2" by 1")

I will have some new jewelry in these and similar designs up for the holidays so be sure to check back!

-Laura

Silver or Black jewelry finish? Which do you prefer?
I recently posted this question on my Facebook page.
So far, silver is in the lead...

Shiny silver finish?
When I first began making jewelry from broken china (and we're talking nearly 20 years now — yikes!) I would occasionally dabble with the black/vintage/antiqued finishes, but for some reason I always seemed to come back to silver.
Silver is traditional, it's easy to wear, it's shiny....as for the darker, vintage finishes — I believe they tend to be more trendy, coming into style right along with the whole "new vintage" era that you see everywhere you turn — in clothes, home furnishings, fabrics....what's old is new again, and so it goes.
I like the way a dark finish against a bright floral china pattern makes the colors pop, and how it lends to the "old" feeling of a piece of china. I equally like the feeling of luxury a shiny, silver finish affords. For me personally, I guess it all comes down to what kind of mood I'm in.
Which do you prefer?

Silver that has been given a black finish
What do you think?

Vintage Halloween postcards
....turned into unique jewelry

Pendant necklaces made from vintage Halloween postcards

Pendant necklace made from vintage Halloween postcard

I love the change in season from summer to fall. It's early September and already our local grocery store has Halloween candy on display! Is it a bit too early for that? Maybe, but the lure of Halloween is one that I' ve always found charming. I'm especially fond of vintage Halloween items. Decorations, masks, costumes and postcards from years past have quite a different charm than those we see today.

The nostalgia of yesteryear is apparent in these vintage collectibles, and for many, brings back memories of childhood fun and games, costumes and trick-or-treating.

Halloween truly is a timeless holiday. What other time of year allows us to be something we are not, to fully use our imagination and allow reality to slip away, even if just for one night?

Halloween Postcards

Pendant necklace made from vintage Halloween postcard
It's amazing to think that at one time (around the late 1800's and on) Halloween postcards were once as popular as Christmas cards!

Pendant necklace made from vintage Halloween postcard
Be sure to check out my Halloween Postcard Jewelry. Each of my postcard pendant necklaces is reversible, with a different vintage Halloween image on each side.

Pendant necklace made from vintage Halloween postcard
I' ve been making jewelry from antique and vintage postcards for a number of years now, and in my opinion, the Halloween images are the most intriguing than those of any other holiday. (Aside from Halloween I also make them with Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day postcards) 'And don't worry, no original postcards are harmed in the process!

Pendant necklace made from vintage Halloween postcard

Pendant necklaces made from vintage Halloween postcards
What do you think?

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal...

artwork and photo copyright Laura Beth Love
I'm excited to offer a new category for Limited Edition Art Jewelry on my website. This category encompasses those one of a kind creations that don't quite fit in any of my other categories and in a nutshell can be described as a little bit of this and a little bit of that!
Here is where you will find unique and unusual jewelry designs that incorporate vintage photos as well as some vintage advertising art, plus some mixed media and altered art jewelry. Some of the items included in this section are early designs that I made a while back but never had the time to photograph until now! Be sure to stop in and take a peek!

In my last blog post I discussed my basic design process for working with a unique focal element, in this case, some fantastic vintage & antique keys that I came across at a flea market last summer. I also discussed the basics of choosing complimentary materials such as beads, and the 'laying out,' or organization of the design. The following post will discuss the fabrication of those keys into a piece of unique, one of a kind piece of jewelry.
Below are two styles of necklaces made with keys:
Vertically Hung Key With Beaded Chain

Horizontally Hung Key Necklace

Materials List for both projects
Vintage Keys
WD-40 and paper towels to clean up your keys and remove rust
Coordinating wire: Brass or copper work well. For the necklaces shown, I used Beadalon ColourCraft Permanently Colored Copper Wire in Brown (20 gauge) and Zebra Wire Colored Copper Wire in Brown in 18, 22 and 26 gauge
Antique finish brass or copper chain (for horizontally hung necklace)
Antique finish brass or copper jump rings (for horizontally hung necklace)
Antique finish brass or copper clasps (toggle and or lobster-claw style)
A variety of gemstone and glass beads
Round nose pliers
Flush-cut pliers
Chain nose pliers
*Aside from the keys, most items listed above are available through Fire Mountain Gems Jewelry Supply http://www.firemountaingems.com/

FABRICATION

If you find that your keys are a little rusty, spray them with WD-40 and clean well with paper towels. Because the keys I used were a nice, rusty brown, I decided to use brown colored copper wire for my necklaces. I liked the keys hung both vertically and horizontally so I decided to make both styles. Below are the instructions for both.
Vertical Key Necklace:
beaded chain technique with toggle clasp

*For these necklace you will need to know how to make a basic wrapped loop. This is a simple technique that is basic to jewelry making. If you do not know how to make a wrapped loop, directions can be found here: http://www.firemountaingems.com/beading_howtos/beading_projects.asp?docid=652t

Step 1. Cut a 2.5' piece of wire and connect one end to the hole in the top of the key with a basic wrapped loop. (For this style I used the 20 gauge wire)

Detail of wrapped wire loops attached to key
Step 2. Place a bead onto the other end of the wire and complete the end with another closed, wrapped loop.
Step 3. Repeat your next section with another section of 2.5' wire, this time connecting one end of the wire to the previously finished beaded loop. Again, place a bead on the wire, and complete the unfinished wire end with another wrapped loop.
Step 4. Continue repeating this 'wire, bead, loop' process until you have created one entire side of beaded chain in the length that you desire. (I made each side of my necklace approx. 10', for a total finished necklace length of 21' including key and clasp.)
Step 5. Repeat steps one through four to create the other side of your beaded chain.
Step 6. Attaching the toggle clasp: When you have finished your beaded chain in the length that you desire, attach your clasp. Using the same wrapped loop technique, attach the 'bar' part of the toggle clasp to one side of your beaded chain and the 'loop' part of the toggle clasp to the other side of your beaded chain. That's it! You are finished!

Detail of toggle clasp attached with wire wrapped loops
Directions for Horizontal Key Necklace:

Step 1. Place key horizontally on table. Cut a 3' piece of wire and connect one end to the hole in the top of the key with a basic wrapped loop. (For this style I used the 20 gauge wire).
Step 2. P lace a bead onto the other end of the wire and complete the end with another closed, wrapped loop.
Step 3. Cut another 3' piece of wire and with a wrapped loop, connect one end to other, opposite end of the key, wrapping the wire around the body of the key to the inside of the key's teeth.
Step 4. Place a bead onto the other end of the wire and complete the end with another closed, wrapped loop.

Step 5. Continue this technique using 2.5' lengths of wire and beads, until you have the beaded look you want; I used two beads on one end of the key and four on the other end of the key. *Do NOT wrap the open end of the wire after your last bead.
Step 6. Cut two lengths of chain (I used two 10' lengths of chain) and now making a loop in the wire after your last bead, thread the chain onto the loop and wrap the end. Repeat with other side. Your lengths of chain are now attached to each side of your necklace.
Step 7. Attaching the clasp: At the end of each length of your chain you will attach your clasp. For this style necklace I used a lobster claw style clasp. Use a jump ring to attach the clasp to one side of your chain and complete the other side of your chain with another jump ring. You are finished!

Lobster-claw style clasp

A different color combination: Citrine and Honey Jade

Pink Rhodonite gemstone beads
If you have any questions, feel free to post them below! — Laura

Pendant approx. 1"
"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."

-Henry David Thoreau

American china with bird motif
Bluebird China

'Bluebird china enjoyed a brief but spectacular history, first appearing in the late 1800s, reaching its zenith in the early to mid-1920s, and was almost entirely gone by 1930. China decorated with the bluebird motif was produced by over 50 different American companies including Anchor Pottery Company, Atlas China Company and Atlas-Globe China Company, Chippendale China, Homer Laughlin China Company, and Steubenville Pottery Company to name just a few.'

-Excerpt from the book Bluebird China (Schiffer Book for Collectors), above, which can be found Here

Classic Homer Laughlin "Fluffy Bluebird" Pattern

Homer Laughlin Fluffy Bluebird pattern china

Necklace pendant

Necklace Pendant

Bracelet made from a broken tea cup

Broken china mosaic heart with bluebird
Bluebirds of Happiness
'The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird. ' -Excerpt from Bluebird of Happiness, which can be found HERE in its entirety.
Other Bluebird China Patterns

Vintage Lovebirds — Unknown pattern
Some examples of a few less common American bluebird china patterns:

Necklace with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal

Necklace Pendant

Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals

Bracelet displayed on the plate it was made from

Link bracelet
How about these sweet little birds? Looks like they've made their nest in a basket.

Necklace pendant, vintage American china

Necklace pendant
Entry May 18 'Your words are born not spoken. Dimensional soft-vowelled words palpable to the eye or to the fingertip. Exquisitely curved as the young that flowers conceive. Often I have watched your lips shape words... and your tongue nudge them out like small birds not wholly certain of their wings. Your sweetest words are those shaped ovally like plums or wild birds' eggs. And the long bright ribbons you laugh, the multitudes of hyacinth and bluebells.'
-Walter Benton, This Is My Beloved

Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals
An older, unusual bluebird china pattern, probably circa 1920:

Necklace pendant

Pin brooch with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal

Necklace made with Amazonite, Rohodonite, and sterling wire

Necklace

Necklace, unknown pattern
Mount Clemens Robin pattern

Heart Pendant

Heart pendant

Pendant

Pin brooch with sterling beads and Swarovski crystals

Heart pendant

Charm bracelet with pearls and various crystals and gems

Silver spoon bracelet

Silver spoon bracelet

Silver spoon bracelet

Pin brooch with crystals
Another unusual American bird pattern. These look like lovebirds or budgies. Notice the motif surrounding the heart design in the second photo below.

Necklace pendant

Pin brooch
Bird of Paradise & Pheasant Patterns
"The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp."
-John Berry

Unusual, ornate pattern. Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.

' The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea... with a few species occurring in the Moluccas of Indonesia and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.' -Excerpt from Bird-of-paradise, which can be found HERE in its entirety

Antique pattern. Pin brooch with heart-shaped coin pearl and crystal.

Heart charm, approx 7/8"

Pin brooch

Beautiful colors! Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals

Pendant
Parrots & cockatoos

Art deco china pattern with parrot motif, American china

Same pattern as above. This pin brooch was made from the design on the center of the plate.
This Parrot pattern is from England:

Pendant

Pin brooch

English china, necklace pendant
Blue Willow birds:

Pendant

Blue willow porcelain from Japan. Necklace made with glass beads, glass pearl beads and sterling wire.

Necklace
A few other bluebird and bird china patterns:

Pendant

Pin brooch

Silver spoon bracelet with 7/8" heart charm

Bluebird china earrings

Heart charm approx. 7/8"

Shelley fine bone china. Flow blue bird motif with gold overlay.
"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Pin brooch with amethyst briolette drop. Newer porcelain.

English transferware with swan motif. Pin brooch

Heart charm, approx 7/8" English transferware

Vintage American pottery with doves motif. Pendant
Birds are flyin' south for winter.
Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,
Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',
Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth.
He says, "It's not that I like ice
Or freezin' winds and snowy ground.
It's just sometimes it's kind of nice
To be the only bird in town." -Shel Silverstein Weird-Bird

Birds are one of my most requested china patterns for jewelry. Because they can be hard to find, sometimes even rare, my finished jewelry pieces made from these patterns on average cost a bit more than other patterns. I hope you enjoyed this look into the world of vintage bird china! No matter how often I look at these patterns, they are still delight me each time I see them! -Laura (all jewelry shown above was made by me!)

Happy Monday, everyone! We are working our tails off this week on lots of Fall projects and fun blog stuff, so to help us out, we've asked a few of our bloggy pals to share some of their projects with you. But get ready, because next week, we'll be back in full force!: ) We're so pleased to introduce you to Rebecca from My Girlish Whims. We've been communicating the past several months through email and were fortunate enough to share our top wedding planning tips with her readers in February when Rebecca was busy getting married and going on her honeymoon. Rebecca is a really talented jewelry designer (make sure you check out her anthro jewelry knockoffs!), but we're in love with this Paper Fan Banner she made. Isn't it darling?

Ok, take it away, Rebecca!

Hello East Coast Creative Readers!

My name is Rebecca and I blog over at My Girlish Whims

My blog is all about beading, crafting, and general life as a girl!

I'm so excited to be guest posting over here today, because I live very close to Jess & Monica! We haven't met in"real life" yet but I'm sure one day we will: )

I just got married in February and have been trying to repurpose a few of the items I DIYed for my big day so I don't waste them! I had a ton of these fabric flowers left over:

Which I had made to hang off the pews in the church.

My hubby and I recently bought our first house and so I've been working on collecting/making some home decor accents. I thought I could use the silver flowers from the pew cones for up in our bedroom, which is eventually getting a grey/silver color scheme.

I got this bucket from the"as-is" section of IKEA for $1.50. There was nothing wrong with it…I think they just aren't selling them anymore!

I spray painted it silver with leftover spray paint from another wedding project

I poured in some glass marbles (that were actually left-overs from my bridal shower!) and then stuck in my fabric flowers (this post has a full tutorial on how to make them if you are interested)

Here's the finished product:

Yay! I think it turned out so cute, and all it cost me was the $1.50 for the bucket!
I put my little flower bucket up in our bedroom on our IKEA TV-holder-thing-a-ma-whatsit. Yes, that is the technical term.

Other side has a picture of us from our big day: )

And there are the flowers!

Slowly our house is becoming more decorated…and slowly I'm using up some of my wedding decor too: )

Thanks so much to Jess and Monica for letting me guest post! Please stop by my blog sometime to say hi, I'd love to meet you!: )

Thank YOU, Rebecca! You can't beat a cute project with that price tag!

One of the many things we love about this blog is that we can share not only the fun projects we are working on, but also things that are important to us as well. One of those things is an organization called Worthwhile Wear that was started by our close friends, Dan and Steph.

Worthwhile Wear's mission is to rescue young girls from forced prostitution and more importantly, prevent it from ever happening at all. They target the root issues of trafficking: poverty and lack of education, by teaching these girls a trade (making jewelry, bags, scarves etc) and offering them free education and a safe place to stay. For the past year, they've been focusing their efforts in India where they've been working to create vocational centers.

This year Worthwhile Wear is shifting its focus from overseas to something closer to home. In the final part of 2013 Worthwhile Wear will launch a new program called “The Well.” This is a long-term aftercare and housing program for women who have been sexually exploited or trafficked in and around the greater Philadelphia area.

Why is this so important to us? These are our daughters, Kira and Campbell, and we can't even imagine how horrific it is for young girls like them to have to go through what they do as a result of trafficking. To know that it happens here, right where we live, is a sobering thought and we want to be a part of stopping it before it starts.

So, all that to say that Worthwhile Wear is having a party! It's 2nd Annual Worthwhile Evening and we've agreed to help out with decor for the event again. We had so much fun last year with the"Taste of India" theme and want to make this year's party just as awesome! You can read about last year's event here and here, but we pretty much transformed a big, blank room into a fabulous backdrop for the event!

The centerpieces showcased the amazing jewelry made by women who have been rescued from trafficking.

This year's theme is all about water (get it? The Well…), and the decorating committee has some pretty fun ideas up their sleeves.

1. Unknown (anyone know?) 2. The Yummy Life 3. Amazon 4. Weddbook
We want you to come hang out with us at the event! There will be delicious food, good music, beautiful art, a silent auction and a chance to hear from Shandra Woworuntu, a woman who escaped forced prostitution. Here are the deets you need to know: When: Saturday, November 9th from 7-9 PM Where: Calvary Church, 820 Rt. 113, Souderton, Pa 18964 Cost: $35 per ticket, or $30 for groups of 10 or more Purchase tickets here.
Here's the fun part, we're giving away 2 tickets to the event! We would love to have as many of you come to learn more about Worthwhile Wear and be a part of this awesome event, so we wanted to give away two tickets to make that happen for someone! We'll announce the winner next Friday, October 18th. We'd be thrilled if you would share this post with your friends so that we can help Worthwhile Wear change the lives as many girls as possible! Enter below for your chance to win: a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can't make the event, then go ahead and start your Christmas shopping on their website! Don't want to come to the event or shop, but still want to help? Donate here to help save young girls and give them the hope for a future.
Have a great weekend, everyone!

A while ago we talked all about our decorating plans for the event, A Worthwhile Evening, benefitting our friend's non-profit organization, Worthwhile Wear. We even shared some mood boards, but wanted to show you how it actually turned out!

We'll be completely honest. We didn't think we could pull it off. Especially because this is the room we had to overhaul into a beautiful setting for 200 people with only a $300 budget.

Oh boy. We were scared. But guess what? We pulled it off and the night went so well, and the room looked beautiful. We used all of our sneaky resources and came up with some inexpensive, but pretty awesome decor for the room. The Centerpieces

These babies were definitely our favorite feature of the room. We used chargers and vases from the Dollar Store, branches from our backyards that we spraypainted gold, and flowers from Produce Junction. But what really made them shine was the Worthwhile Wear jewelry we hung from the branches. They looked so cool, made a great conversation piece and helped to sell even more jewelry for the organization,

The tables were covered in an inexpensive purple satin with a gold, shimmery tulle overlay. 

The Art

We used the same roofing material that we used on our last Nate Show episode and the Indian Paisley Damask stencil from Royal Design Studios to create a gorgeous backdrop for the room. A big thank you to Royal Design Studios for donating the stencil for a good cause! We've said it time and time again that stencils make a huge impact for very little cost, and RDS stencil are the BEST!

The Silent Auction Tables Unfortunately, the room had a pretty ugly border around the entire room that would have been too expensive to cover up, not to mention pretty difficult to do in a non-permanent way. We decided to use one of our other tricks, giant Staples Engineer Prints to deck out the walls and draw the eye away from the border. The prints of these gorgeous girls and women were taken while Dan was in India learning more about the culture and the great need for these girls to be rescued. Printed on each picture was a statistic of interest (most of them heart-breaking) related to human trafficking.

The Atmosphere

We were pretty limited as far as furniture goes to just what the church had available, so we decided to make the whole room into a lounge/coffee shop feel. Lots of cozy seating areas, coffee tables and lamps for softer lighting. We also used a lot of Ikea curtain panels to dress up the walls a bit more. 

Of course, Viswas, the sitar player, need a cool background! 

One big score was the lights we had hanging from the ceiling. The church already owned this (which helped us stay within budget), but they originally came from Ikea.

A big thank you to the photographers for the evening, Jake of Harr Photography and Robert of Robert Radu Stern for sharing their pictures with us. They even snagged a great one of the two of us at the end of the night!

We were so happy with the way the evening went, and that we could use our talents to help out our good buddies, Dan and Steph and the amazing organization they've started. Want to know how you can help us help them out even more? Worthwhile Wear is a part of two awesome contests and need our votes. It only takes a minute, but will make a big difference!

1. The First ever Philadelphia DoGooder Awards celebrates the power of storytelling as a way to connect non profit organizations with valuable partners, volunteers, donors and resources. Non profits are invited to submit short 5 minute or less (2-3 preferred) films with a compelling narrative. Filmmakers are encourage to submit films on behalf of their non profit clients. They are competing for $250,000 in resources, national and regional recognition, and much much more. To vote, click here, watch the video (be prepared for tears!), and cast your vote.

2. Our local bank, Univest, is giving $5,000 to a local non-profit. They are asking you, the community, to nominate a non-profit for this contribution. Please take a moment to"Like" Univest and then in the comment section write a nomination f or Worthwhile Wear. You can nominate WW until 12/31/12. Feel free to share this with others. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the perfect season to do a little good for someone else. We thank you so much for helping us grow Worthwhile Wear! Have an awesome, Christmas-festivity-filled weekend!

If you are looking for a recycled or green gift, be sure to check out Great Green Goods. I was thrilled to recently have my broken china jewelry featured by them on their site, which features eco-friendly products that are made by creative minds with recycled materials. You can read their review of my jewelry here:
Dishfunctional Designs — Makes you want to Break your Plates

From Pennsylvania artist, Laura Love, gorgeous pendants, bracelets, charms and earrings created from recycled broken dishware. The necklaces with the added accent of recycled vintage flatware are my favorite. If you're the type who can't bear to toss Great Aunt Mabel's cracked and chipped tea cup, you can send it to Laura since custom work is available.
Priced around $50.00 for necklace and $60.00 for bracelet at Dishfunctional Designs.

These used to be spoons!

Earrings I made from antique spoon handles

I 'll admit it, I have a hard time throwing pretty things away, even if it is something that is considered "scrap."
After making a spoon bracelet out of a pair of orphaned antique silver plated spoons I found myself left with the cut off bowl-ends of the spoons — and they had such a pretty filigree design on the neck (the thin part of the spoon that connects the handle to the bowl) that I just had to make something out of them...
....so I removed the bowl of the spoon and kept the thin, ornate necks and transformed them into these one of a kind earrings! (click photos for larger images)

(total measurement 1/4" wide by 2 & 1/4" long including sterling ear-wires and Swarovksi crystal drops )

I added sterling wires and pearls to this pair

Antique silver spoon earrings with pearl drops
What do you think of them?

It's here! B2S Week (Back to School) here on the Real Houseviwes blog… We've got some pretty fabulous stuff planned and today we're talking about back to school fashion. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post because there's some crazy, exciting news we can't wait to share!
B2S Fashion 2011 I must admit, I sorta dreaded back to school shopping this year. I have four kids and three of them are in school, so I had some serious shopping to do. My oldest is the only one that is a challenge. She's just developing her style and it's NOTHING frilly, NOTHING sparkly, NOTHING little kid, NOTHING that mom picks out- LOL. I think maybe I'll share this post with her.
First off, here are the hot trends you should know about:
Hot colors — jade, teal, bamboo, coffee, & orchid
Nail polish colors — graphite, péridot and quartz
Crackle nail polish
Chunky funky bracelets — MeBands are cool & collectible
Cool high tops, bold and bedazzled (Converse has an affordable line at Target)
Funky jewelry — plastic bracelets
Chunky rings
Backpacks, multi-style and color
Large watches
Toms shoes — shoes that give back
Retro sunglasses
Trendy scarves (yes they are still in, and make great belts too.)
Ballet flats
Funky lunch bags — very eco-friendly. Think Green
Feather earrings and hair accessories
Crochet detailing
Blazers Now, you might be thinking… hmm, I need this list, not my kids, but it can be for moms and their kiddos! (Oh, and just in case you don't know about hair feathers, you should… the trend moved from magazines, to Hollywood, to edgy women, and now to our kids!)

Source: noellesalon.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Now, let's get into some outfits. Here's the deal on where to shop… In case you missed the memo, department stores are back! I've read that, but I had to see it firsthand! JCPenney totally shocked me… My 9 year old LOVED the clothes and we did about 75% of our shopping there.

Source: jcpenney.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Macy's has some super preppy styles, but also plenty of retro looks as well. How happy do these catalog kids look? (hehe)

Source: macys.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I'm a layers junkie and this year all the stores are not letting me down. Now everyone knows that Gymboree is the king of too matchy matchy for me accessorized outfits, but did you know that their sister store Crazy 8 has some pretty cool fall looks? I love this outfit for my son Kade. Plaid shirt, cool graphic tee, and a puffy vest. I <3 vests!

Source: crazy8.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

How do you feel about the return of Converse? Ok, I'll be honest… I'm a big fan of a solid color Chuck Taylor with a pair of jeans. Last year Kenz was rockin' out a black pair, but we might go a little crazier this year. Not quite this crazy. I'm not a bedazzled kind of gal, but if your kiddos are, Converse has some amazing ones!

Source: seventeen.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest

Now, what about if your kiddo has to wear a uniform?? I think they look adorable, but I know that kids still like to have some style of their own. The key to uniforms is accessories. Think belts, socks, hair bows, ties, and jewelry.

Source: gap.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
Even though my preschooler doesn't wear a uniform, I plan to order her some adorable hair accessories from Blossom Bands! Remember Bethany from her guest post? Well, click on her button on the sidebar to check out the adorableness that I'll be choosing from.

Source: littlelovely.typepad.com via Amy on Pinterest
Let's talk about socks for the little ladies. Little MisMatched has awesome socks! There was even a pair with sykscrapers on them!

Source: littlemissmatched.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
I also found a fabulous tutorial to make some adorable embellished knee socks. Check these beauties out…

Source: alisaburke.blogspot.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
There are about a million other cute trends, but I'm hoping you get the idea. Now, one last fashion tip… Don't let yourself be frumpy mom! This is the pot calling the kettle black, but it's something I at least try to work at. I work from home and have four kids. If that isn't a recipe for FRUMP, then I don't know what is. However, the days that I actually put an outfit on I feel so much better! I don't even mean fancy, I'm talking jeans and a tee if that's how you roll, but I'm convinced that I'm a better mom and wife when I'm not in my sweats all day. This outfit is simple and cute and I think the preschool moms would appreciate me showing up in this and not my sweats and the hub's old teeshirt.

Source: oldnavy.gap.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest
So, go throw on a fun mom outfit and do some B2S shopping! Let us know what you find and where you shop!

And now for the EXCITING NEWS… We were told this weekend that we were nominated as finalists for CBS News' Best Blog of the Year for Philadelphia! Insane right? To win the final honor of MVB, we need you to vote for us! You can vote once a day now through September 9th, so please vote and tell your friends and family to do the same!

These tags make great personal touches for gifts, or, if you're a crafty, use them in altered art and scrapbooking projects. If you sell your work, use these as jewelry cards or hang tags for your handcrafted items, as I have done above.
Supplies needed:
Manila hang tags 'available at office supply stores, or if you prefer you can cut your own from cardstock. I prefer to use the purchased ones, just because it is more time efficient for me.

Teabags and hot water to brew some strong tea (or you can use coffee)

Other Optional supplies & embellishments:
Spray bottle (optional)

Ribbon scraps
Carnival tickets (office supply stores, Walmart, and Party supply stores)
Misc. ephemera
Glue stick

STEP 1
Brew a strong pot of tea and when cooled, pour it into a medium pot (I keep the teabags in). You can brew the teabags right in the pot on the stovetop. I use about 6 teabags per every 4 cups of water. If you prefer you can use coffee instead of tea.
STEP 2
Submerge and soak the manila tags in the cooled tea until stained and saturated. They do not have to be evenly stained. The less-even the stains are, the better. You can either just dip them for a lighter look, or you can allow them to soak for a while for a deeper shade. Experiment until you achieve the look you like.
STEP 3
When the tags are the color you like, remove them from the tea soak and lightly blot them on an old tea towel. Next, arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake in a warm oven (about 200-250 degrees F) until they begin to dry. Watch them carefully so that you do not burn them. Then remove them from the oven.

when dry, your tags should look like this

STEP 4
This step is optional, but I like to go the extra mile for the look: spritz the tags with a spray bottle filled with tea or coffee to add some extra, darker stain marks. If you don't want to use a spray bottle you can just randomly drip the tea on your tags. This step helps them look old and worn or grungy: that is the look we are going for. Bake again for just a few minutes until dry and remove from oven.

I love drip stains on my tags!
STEP 5
Embellishing: Once your tags are completely dry you can rubber stamp them with designs. Using the rubber stamp and stamp pad, stamp your tags with whatever designs you desire. Some nice stamps that I like to use are seasonal designs and nature designs. You can stop here and use your tags as-is, or read on for more embellishment ideas.
For Those Who Want More * Thread a few scraps of ribbon through the hole in the tag and tie for a colorful look (see below).

Just thread the ribbon through the hole...

....and then tie in a simple knot

I coordinated these earrings to the ribbons to complete the look!
Getting Fancy
* Use rubber stamps to decorate carnival tickets, punch a hole in each with a hole-punch and then attach these with ribbon through the hole on the tag (as shown above). Or, if you prefer, use a glue stick and glue the carnival ticket directly to the tag.

You can buy carnival tickets by the roll

use a simple, small stamp on the carnival tickets

a colorful, whimsical look
A Few Other Ideas
* Distress the edges of your tags by running the edge of the tag along the stamp pad or by tracing along the edge of the tag with a marker.
* Add some color to your rubber stamp designs by coloring with colored pencil.
* Add vintage ephemera to your tags with a glue stick for an altered art look.
* Good idea: If you're using these as tags for items you are going to sell or as jewelry cards, use the reverse side to write pertinent info about your item (such as materials used, etc), or, stamp the reverse side with a sticker or personalized rubber stamp to advertise your business name and/or website. I had a custom rubber stamp made by Etsy seller terbearco, and I love it!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Oh baby, do we ever have a great giveaway for you today! We've had a crush on Shabby Apple since we first heard about them on Beth's blog. I can assure you that you will too, after you take a look at all they have to offer. From dresses to skirts to bathing suits to jewelry to home decor- they have some amazing stuff! And we're so excited to pass on the Shabby Apple love to you in the form of a $50 gift card! Yay!: )
I love what Shabby Apple has to say about their company: We started Shabby Apple because we saw a need in women’s fashion that was not being met. A need to make women feel feminine and beautiful for what they wear, not what they bare. We offer flirty, stylish dresses a woman can wear just as comfortably in the office, at a family dinner, or on a date. Shabby Apple is a fashion company for women, by women, and of women

. Just take a peek at some of their awesomeness:

Costa Bathing Suit

Crush On You Swim Cover-up Skirt

The Headliner Dress

Puca Pucara Dress

Walk the Plank Dress

 Dagny Necklace
Here's how to Enter: 1."Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave us a comment letting us know you did. 2. For an extra entry: Go to Shabby Apple, pick your favorite and then leave us comment 3. For an extra entry:"Like" East Coast Creative on FB and let us know you did!
And, don't worry, if you don't happen to win, we've got you covered! Just enter EASTCOAST10OFF at checkout for 10% off! Now, don't waste another minute: head over to Shabby Appleto pick your fav!

Boy do I have lots of sweet new goodies for spring! This winter I took some time away from my regular line of broken china jewelry to create some exciting new designs with some fabulous vintage materials....I dove into my collection of vintage photos, reproduced some of them, then had a ball adding some fun text to them and incorporating them into some fresh new designs. (I knew I was collecting those vintage photos for a reason!)

How cute is she?!

artwork & photos copyright 2009